THE FUTURE IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE

George Paras posted a quote by Peter Drucker on LinkedIn, which includes: “It is pointless to predict the future.” This is in line with L. Riding and R. Graves' axiom captured in the title.

An old maxim advises strategists to challenge their assumptions by consider the opposite or by restraining the scope or impact of the envisaged hypotheses. To this effect, out of my soon to be published “Words of Wisdom”, here is an interesting quote:

? “The shortest way to understand the future

goes through a deep understanding of the past” J. J. Dordain

Dordain’s quote leads us to reflect not only on the changes we can predict, but also on what will not change or what will not change very much in the envisaged future, and on their impact. This leads us to look at the mindsets, at the management, and at the means.

Prof. R. Martin's excellent “A New Way to Think” showed that, even at the highest level, some people are trapped in their “model”, and they keep revert to it even if the results do not warrant it. (1) People’s attitudes are also affected by the thinking, by the behaviors, and by the actions of the people they associate with. This may help or hinder their ability to change.

When people talk about the management-system they only look at the core of the management-system. Also McKinsey’s 7S and their 8 attributes? merely focus on the core of the management-system. (2) ?

“The Five Forces of Enterprise” lays out the advocated global management system, which activates the ?interactions of its 5 “P”, i.e. ?the people, the powers of the resources, the practices of management, the partners, and the products. One of the powers, the organizational capital, integrates the web of the 5 “S” that drive the core of the management-system namely: the strategy fundamentals, the style of the leadership and the corporate culture, the systems of management, the? structures of the organization, and the system technologies. (3) Thusly, the interactions of the 5 "S”?with all the 5 “P” of the five forces of enterprise boost the connectivity, the creativity, and the celerity of the whole organization.

Dr. W. E. Deming posited:? “85% of the dysfunctions are mainly attributable to the management who is responsible for the management system”. The top-brass may not be interested or able to change the management-system or then it may changes just parts of it and misalign the whole thing.

The proficiency of the use of the planned-resources depends not on the mindset, on the management, and on the means but on the interactions of the aforementioned five forces of enterprise. Moreover, the intangible resources, which drive sustainable successes, may be difficult to manage.

Back to square one, business-leaders should challenge assumptions with the opposite or by restraining the scope or impact of the hypotheses. Then, to better understand the future, “The Five Forces of Enterprise” features the seven planning steps, a model that is more comprehensive, connective, and creative than the ?traditional PESTEL, and that facilitates the SWOT based on the aforementioned five forces of enterprise. (3)

-1- R. L. Martin “A New Way To Think” HBRP 2022 ?????????????????????????????????????? -2- T.J. Peters & R.H. Waterman Jr. “In Search of Excellence” HR 1982 ? -3- W. A. Sussland “The Five Forces of Enterprise” Kindle 2023

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