Recap on some uncomfortable truths

"Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets."

Paul Batalden

I think the Summer holiday period can be a good time to reflect and, to restate some realities that are difficult to acknowledge in bureaucratic organisations:

Performance of an organisation reflects the system - and systems are wholly owned by leaders

Systems are shaped by leaders' choices, which are shaped by their worldviews

The focus of most leaders' is to maintain their status and to keep their job

Systems are the outcome of the choice of measures, incentives, what gets rewarded, the choice of rewards, processes, policies, rules, team structures, roles and responsibilities, hiring policy etc. etc.

Investing in training / coaching / 'transforming individual employees and  / or teams won't change the system

Changing the system can enable people to perform for effectively and to fulfil their potential 

Individual skills can only have a tiny amount of impact / leverage on overall performance (see above)

The status quo model for corporate 'Learning' (education) persists as it means leaders don't have to change their own behaviour. (See point 3 above).



I work as a thinking partner and advisor with mid sized, value oriented companies going through significant change. I help you to build new capability and mindsets through shifting your approach to organisational development.

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