“Our focus on removing or minimizing randomness has actually had the perverse effect of increasing fragility.”   How can we work through this  paradox in organizations?  Assistant Professor Adam Grant’s recent works provides insights. As a follow-on exploring the concept of anti-fragile systems that I blogged about earlier, consider the power of Dr. Grant’s recent work on Givers, [...]

Random, extreme events:  What to do in a world we don’t understand.  Is it possible to develop characteristics to emulate strengths in nature in becoming anti-fragile as described by former wall street trader, now academic, Nassim Nicholas Taleb? Bio:  Nassim N. Taleb is a former derivatives trader who became a scholar and philosophical essayist in [...]

“There isn’t anything so practical as” a good model to help leaders, change agents and advocates explain what is happening in change and transition, paraphrasing Kurt Lewin.  An informed change leader can head off the deadly effects of compliance and indifference and increase true, community commitment with a good set of tools, facilitation skills and change research, informed by timely [...]

Second Life simulation via blog.centerforinnovation.mayo.edu The Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation is one of the places at Mayo Clinic that participates in Second Life. The Mayo Clinic is doing some amazing things in the innovation space, using service design. Mayo has a three year track record for holding an annual Innovation conference that engages the [...]

The Future Midwest 2011 conference kicked off April 28, 2011. Here are some highlights: Oliver Starr discussing Curation via Pearltree, Example – Louis Vuitton store in Milan, Guggenheim museum in NYC
The Chicago “New Architects including Manifest Digital, consulting + digital including a focus on disruption, change: highlighting generational differences and the role of leadership in dealing with Evening keynote by Dan Gilbert: vision for WEBward Avenue, Make Detroit cars sexy again, the importance of tech and creative companies coming to Detroit. Detroit as a tough, resilent, creative, tech hub.

It’s not surprising to me that creativity and imagination, with social media listening, could be a key gateway to the future. I’ve certainly experienced what a lack of it does to work environments. Brian Solis, a respected author, blogger, national speaker who hits it right on regarding traits that represent the future of business.

Theory U features concepts intended to help leaders and managers in the public and private sector break through unproductive patterns of behavior. This includes not listening to their staff and clients’ and producing ineffective patterns of decision making. Otto Sharmer’s diagrams and practices include accessible illustration on paths in listening, for example, reinforced through the book, as a key focus on the left side of the U:

People are usually a lower order value in many organizations, number seven (7) according to consultant Peter Block in his earlier writings.  In some rarified companies, the people rank is quite a bit higher, such as with SouthWest airlines, owing to its success in fractious airline industry. via flickr.com . Note:  This post was updated [...]

Write your business plan in pencil!   Reading this post by Bob Reiss is a solace.  Just taking a few minutes to look at the categories of strategic, tactical and operational is a great reminder. In my case, I used a flipchart paper to list these three major categories.  Then it is easy to review [...]

Consultants are strategy and a strategy. This post reminded me it was time to integrate as Reveln social media, org. dev. consulting, & leader coaching integrate further via the next generation Reveln website launched May 2010. For example, this post is from my mini-blog Posterous site – the framework will be joined by a promised post on performance & participative organizations supporting strategic agility, my last regular Wordpress entry. My very current list of mini-blogs is at the end of this entry including Reveln Consulting with over 13,000 site views as of April-May, 2010. Posterous is a happening mini-blog service. I’m glad to demonstrate how beautifully it works on the upgraded Reveln website. Thanks Mat Piccinato & Ross Johnson for the website support!