The Interventions Insights

Systems Thinking: What does it involve? It's essential to recall that the expression "systems thinking" can mean various things to various individuals. The order of systems thinking is something beyond a gathering of instruments and strategies – it's likewise a hidden way of thinking. Systems thinking is additionally an affectability to the roundabout idea of the world we live in; attention to the job of structure in making the conditions we face; an acknowledgment that there are amazing laws of systems working that we are uninformed of; an acknowledgment that there are outcomes to our activities that we are absent to.  Systems thinking is additionally a demonstrative instrument. As in the therapeutic field, successful treatment pursues careful determination. In this sense, systems thinking is a trained methodology for looking at issues all the more totally and precisely before acting. It enables us to pose better inquiries before forming a hasty opinion. ...

In the last article, we discussed the situation of acquisition of Alstom by GE and analyzed the reasons for its failure. Here we will continue with our discussion by analyzing possible models of Large System Intervention in the context of the above-mentioned acquisition.  But before we delve into the hypothetical analysis, It would be interesting to have a look at the intervention that was led by Jack Welch (most prominent Ex-CEO of GE) in the early 1980s. After a period of corporate restructuring, retaining businesses which will be profitable and letting go of unproductive ones, Welch understood that the slash and burn technique won't be enough. "Work-out" was created by Welch’s insistence where the Front line sales who were the drivers of change would be empowered to make decisions and their bosses will align themselves to it.  Work-out was launched in large-scale setoff with the help of few facilitators, HR folks and top management. The process was s...

What do you mean by World Cafe? World Café provides a lived experience of participating in a dynamic network of conversations that continually coevolve as we explore questions that matter with family, friends, colleagues, and community. The metaphor of the “World as Café,” helps us notice these often-invisible webs of dialogue and personal relationships that enable us to learn, create shared purpose, and shape life-affirming futures together. (Brown, Homer & Isaacs, 2005) The cross-pollination of perspectives that results is one of the trademarks of the  World Café. A series of progressive discussion engages people in a constructive way. People build onto their ideas. Latent and collective knowledge becomes visible. Group wisdom emerges. A developing feeling of the bigger whole changes how members see themselves and their connections. Collective intelligence develops and evolves, and creative conceivable outcomes for activity are put forth.  Old wine in a new ...

As a class after deep diving into the world of LSI , getting a holistic view on the tools used, the approaches to be followed and the major aspects to be taken into consideration what remains of major importance now is looking at the different setups wherein LSI can be used. LSI involves large scale changes but covers all 4 areas of intervention most likely - Individual, Group, Organisation and Systems Level. It is indeed very interesting to see that apart from the usual Business Context, where all can we use the different approaches of LSI. LSI is used on every continent, in many different cultures and sectors. The following are some examples of applications in specific sectors: Business The complete redesign of a product line in sixteen hours: from raw materials to the showroom floor, using Future Search;  Strategy development involving clients and suppliers Integration of cultures following a merger of any size Addressing quality, safety and productivity...

It’s true that companies spend a lot on large system change interventions; this makes it very crucial that companies are able to measure the added value. Companies always need to know if they are getting return on investment; even if we are getting ROI how can we calculate it? One of the reasons that ROI can be particularly difficult to calculate is the different factors that impact an intervention. These factors can be time and quality but are not essentially quantity and money therefore is difficult to put into a basic equation of: output / input equals productivity (output/input = value). Real problem here is that if we consider that if money as input, output will be money too. However this is not always the case in terms of large system change intervention. So how do we measure an impact which can be expressed as currency value? Calculating the full financial ROI of Large System interventions has been elusive resulting in undermining the perceived credibility of large syst...

In light of the developments around the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – including the controversies and allegations around its iconic leadership –  several relevant observations emerge for other strategic alliances. Readdressing mutual strategic dependency In Renault-Nissan’s case, the strategic goals of the two partners were divergent from the start. Nissan required emergency surgery, which it received with Carlos Ghosn’s Nissan Revival Plan, while Renault wanted access to the Asian growth markets where Nissan was already well entrenched. These goals do not add up to a recipe for long-term harmony. Indeed, Renault’s response to a strengthen Nissan becoming the larger of the two companies was to reinforce its own power position within the alliance. Transitioning to alliance leadership In the early days of the alliance, Carlos Ghosn clearly understood how to translate the differences and gaps between Renault and Nissan into highly successful  management practice...