Carol, a neat summary of reality and a good question
> Today business is forced to make change in a very narrow
>timeframe, working only with the top 20% and dragging many of the rest
>"kicking and screaming". While this might be a bit of hyperbole, the
>question is, what are the best options for systemic change when you
>don't have adequate time to promote buy-in?
I suspect much of this change stuff spends too much time on 'buy-in'
within the system and not enough outside the system. I suspect most human
systems are pretty adept at evolving to new circumstances. If some-one
[which means management in today's current reality] can create a
sufficient shift in the rules the rest follows [especially if it is
supported and maybe that's an essential bit].
The most vivid example I ever heard was of the new CEO who dynamited the
old HQ building and sent everyone a video of the event. It signalled that
the old world had changed and when I heard the example had lead to the
ninth record quarter in a row.
I am not advocating violence, or manufactured crises nor pushing dynamite
as a meta recipe. I am saying find a way to puncture, dramatically if
possible, the equilibrium of a limiting pattern then manage the emergence
of a new one. There are probably hundreds of ways to do it from dynamite
to office moves to Julie's whole system conferences to charismatic leaders
[WHATEVER WE MEAN BY THAT] speaking differently.
What I am saying is that to change a complex systemyou must shift the
pattern [or memome] that enables it.
If Price
The Harrow Partnership
Pewley Fort Guildford UK
101701.3454@compuserve.com
--Dr Ilfryn Price <101701.3454@compuserve.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>