Posts Tagged ‘change’

Change and organizational continuity

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Few days ago I wrote on Facebook that I am currently reviewing books at the source of my formal knowledge on change, marketing, coaching, and the relationship between organizations and their environment (both in the private and public sector).

This article is about change- and continuity, along with resistance to change.

Change2010_01: From paper to the cloud and beyond

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Defining information technology today

In the second article in the series, I will discuss change in the field that touches the life of everyone of us: Information technology (computer and Internet- but also other active and passive telecommunication media).

When I say “everybody” I am not forgetting the Low Income Countries (LICs), or the non- connected (over 30% in the EU): in one way or another, e.g. also via radio or TV, everybody is touched by information technology.

And, since over the last 20 years gradually each information channel migrated to the digital platform, it is quite easy to see how, eventually, it will be the form and shape at the receiving end (TV, radio, text messages, voice, etc) that will be seen as differentiating the different channels.

The evolution on the transmission of information has been also mirrored by a parallel evolution in its storage: where you information resides started being irrelevant.

Change2010_00: pattern-based vs. systemic change

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

This is the first short article of a 7-article series on change, that I will post along the month of September.

The purpose is quite simple: share, through case studies and examples, an approach that I used in my prior activities joining technology and change, and focusing on the change itself.

Quantitative vs Qualitative, Visual vs Verbal: false dichotomies

Monday, July 19th, 2010

It is quite funny how we got used to charts, statistics, and discussions about different perspectives.

But, despite all our computers, technologies, and so on… we keep getting the usual white/black alternatives, or “dichotomies”.

This short articles is about something that I kept doing often to convert complexity into something we are all used to: getting a 0 to 10, or 0 to 5, or F to A.

The concept is simple: our brain is inherently multi-dimensional.

We are able to see, perceive, think in shades- and to switch from visual to verbal if and when needed.

But when we move from what is personal to what is abstract (our work, in most cases, or news), we seemingly accept at face value boundaries that do not exist- false dichotomies.

If you are lost- do not worry: the rest of this article will make sense: including the “Devil’s advocate” section (i.e. how to prepare for objections).

AML and Identity Collection Points

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

This short article is about the unintended consequences of desirable changes.

Anyway- the aim is not the specific case study (normative changes introduce for anti money laundering purposes), but reminding to adopt a systemic, comprehensive view while preparing the blueprint for changes.

No Man’s Land

Monday, January 11th, 2010

I had the chance to observe organizations and communities since quite an early age, and something was really fascinating.

When organizations expand, often it is assumed that the “culture” of the original entity will spread to all its parts- as if the center were the heart, and the parts (branches, subsidiaries, etc) were limbs of the same body.

An anthropocentric view of organizational development.

In this article, a small framework to observe, analyze, and ensure that your organization complies with the same professional and ethical standards throughout.

Everyday politics :)

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Aristotle said that, by nature, we are all political animals.

When I wrote in the title “everyday politics” I was not thinking about “professional” politics.

I was simply stating: with the new technologies, that disrupt the usual communication organizations and control, everybody can do a political action. Everyday.

Read below to see how to begin now. Without a budget. Just a brain and a keyboard, and some experience to share.

Managing change across time

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

If you read once in a while this chaotic website of mine, you know that I wrote here and there about change management.

I would like to share here some experience from my activities, and why I believe that adopting a common framework might be sub-optimal, but a smart allocation of resources.

To summarize:

  1. change is a constant (”panta rei”)
  2. change is made of “here and now” activities, and their antecedents and consequences
  3. if you can, do not re-invent the wheel- use an existing one…
  4. …and see how to make it fit in your environment
  5. and drop that “not invented here” attitude: you are wasting resources
  6. last but not least: ask yourself- who will keep the memory of the choices made

Changing minds, changing rules

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

If you read my CV or wander around here on my blog, you will probably notice that I worked across many industries.

And not only bottom-line oriented: also non-profit and cultural.

This post is about the difference about changing rules and changing minds, and some potential uses in the political, business, personal environment.

Highlights:
who controls the controller?

first extreme: the consensus-building inserted in a rule-oriented environment

Second extreme: the rule-orientation inserted in consensus-building environment

Weaknesses in training, weaknesses in results

do your new rules consider the organizational cultural environment?

introducing a change in rules requires changing mindsets

step-by-step: “terraforming” for rules change

GMN2009: Games

Monday, May 18th, 2009

You want your model to work in reality, and therefore you have to assume that others have their own models.

It is a game. Like playing chess. Or the usual “prisoner’s dilemma”.

From models, we will move to the interaction between models- and between different decision paths within a model.

A down-to-earth introduction to the game theory.

This post is part of a series, first published in May 2009.