The Rapid Response Institute

Category: Relationships, Behaviors, Conditions (RBC)

  • The 1950s Were So Good Because the 1930s & 40s Were So Very Bad

    The 1950s Were So Good Because the 1930s & 40s Were So Very Bad

    An early Baby Boomer, born in 1948 this post war pundit watched (pun intended) the beginning of the broadcast television age, featuring I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Ozzie and Harriet show, Leave It To Beaver, Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, The Roy Rogers Show, Superman, Looney Tunes, Captain Kangaroo, The Howdy Doody Show and more.  A technological wonder, no less an important marvel than today’s Smart devices.

    The 1950s were a time of a non-existent (TV) American family that has never been reproduced.  My generation was raised watching June Cleaver cleaning her house all dressed up and wearing pearls.  I do not recall my mother (of that peer group) dressed as such doing daily chores.

    After the horrors of World War II and coming off the Great Depression era, America needed a pause.  Europe and Asia needed to rebuild themselves after their self imposed stupidity.  The so-called Happy Days established an Americana right up there with Norman Rockwell‘s vision.

    The 1950s set the stage for our 21st Century.  It established a ‘can do’ approach that persists to this day.  Many do not know that the transistor, the basis of all modern Cloud solutions was invented in the late 1940s and came into fruition during the 1950s.  Enabling the Apollo moonshot ten years later.

    On the down side, the Korean War draw and the Cold War with potential Nuclear Holocaust loomed large and set the stage for defeat in Vietnam.  This first American rout would not be our last.  Afghanistan!

    “Déjà Vu All Over Again”

    Apologies to Yogi Berra, it does feel sometimes like we are in a pre-1950s era.  Economic uncertainty, global political unrest, domestic turmoil, Covid-19, even pending European military hostilities, Asia etc. are all taking their toll on our collective psychic.  It all seems so similar to the late 1930s.

    The British Minister at the time, Neville Chamberlain, perceived as the appeaser did not live to the see the rout of 1940’s totalitarianism.  Had he, he might offer some thoughts about our current situation.  Winston Churchill most certainly would as would Ronald Reagan, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln and others.

    Economically, the world fell apart.  Since the safety nets of today that did not exist back then, the impact was massive.  However, our safety nets are under attack.  Inflation may destroy the middle and other classes.  Just like it did in the 1970s—Stagflation.  The worst of all possible economic worlds.

    Our parents and grandparents survived significant and in some cases life threatening problems.  Collectively, society emerged stronger and perhaps happier.  Paraphrasing from the TV series Mission Impossible, “Our mission, should we choose to accept it is to rise to the challenge and makes this world a better place for those who follow.”

    We also remember the 1950s as so good because the 60s and 70s were subsequently very bad.  This does not need to be the case with this social/economic cycle.  We are not doomed to repeat that history and can change our destiny.

    Seems that we are not really trying.  Have we become the nanny state?  Making our parents and grandparents so proud.

    And Yet

    The 1950s were by no means perfect.  Long simmering civil rights tensions began to manifest and certainly many did not enjoy the environment many of us fondly look back upon.  However, this period was a pause that would be rudely awakened, perhaps when JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963.  Or maybe earlier when Rosa Parks took her stand (or seat) on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 about the time Martin Luther King Jr. was coming into prominence.

    Throughout the 1960s a number of horrendous crimes would be committed against innocent children, activists and others–ultimately leading the assassination of Dr. King.  Moreover, the 1970s would start with Kent State and the Jackson State killings.

    Lessons Learned

    For many, the 1950s were happy days, for others not so much.  Guessing most readers were not alive during this period and perhaps even their parents were too young.

    History is the ultimate task master.  Dooming new generations to relive the past.  However, this need not be the case.  We can and should learn from the follies and successes of those who precede us.

    The 1950s were unique in many ways.  Many in my generation believe that to be true.  However, it seems we are reliving the 1930-1950s era and the outcome might be similar.

    Our challenge is to make sure that does not happen.  History need not repeat itself.  It is up to us.

    What Are Your Organization’s Future/Contingency Plans?

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    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    We presented, Should Cross Cultural Serious Games Be Included in Your Diversity Program: Best Practices and Lessons Learned at the Online Conference, New Diversity Summit 2020 the week of September 14, 2020.  Check Out this timely event and contact the organizer for access to the presentations!!

    For more on DEI Standards, see the newly released ISO-30415.

    You can contact this author as well.

  • Crisis Management: The Need for Internal Consistency

    Crisis Management: The Need for Internal Consistency

    Attributed to former US Senator and Governor Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, “Trust is built with consistency.”  Moreover, from statistics we know that Internal Consistency, “measures whether several items that propose to measure the same general construct produce similar scores.”  The follow on definition statistical reliability, “is the consistency of a set of measurements or measuring instrument, often used to describe a test.”

    In our July 20, 2021 post, Are Your DEI Wheels Spinning? we posited that positive behavioral change as a result of a new situation/condition must result in relationships built on trust.  Without said trust, positive behavioral change is unlikely.

    Situational Change and Differences of Opinion

    Responsible individuals, organizations, and even industrial sectors can disagree.  In fact, ‘academic argument’ is a key component of the Scientific Method and science is never settled.  Moreover, most situations are fluid and those in crisis tend to be agitated.

    That said, crisis management techniques demand well defined processes with identified owners.  Moreover, data must be shared and meet the dual tests of ‘valid and reliable.’  There is no room for sloppiness or data bias as was found in more than one occasion during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Some argue that Covid-19 data issues are unique and due the global nature of the problem.  However, we are told that Big Data is the future or actually is now.  Solving Climate Change, enabling driverless electric vehicles and so on and so forth.  Based on current performance, it would appear we have a ways to go.  Despite statements to the contrary it is possible implement decision support systems quickly and with success.  This is actually not a new process.

    Street Cred

    Often viewed from the perspective of the colloquial.  One attains credibility based on perceived performance and not necessarily as a function of actual accomplishment.  Usually, highly visible this Influencer can hold sway in larger ways than are actually justified.  However, in their orbit these individuals hold the trust of their followers.  Those holding contrary views will lack trust from this group but may hold significant trust from others skeptical of said leader.

    Both sides can loose trust and cred if ‘holes’ appear in the story line, narrative or agenda.  If the internal consistency of each position is weak, internal group pressures may ultimately destroy any impression of belief and trust.

    This is somewhat where the world is with the established Public Health authorities.  Many hold the perception of perhaps actual misinterpretation, analysis and presentation of the Covid-19 data sets.  The counter position lacks credibility as well.

    R B C

    We have been a proponent of the Relationships, Behaviors, Conditions model for almost thirty years.  Simply put, when situations or conditions change, human behavior changes and vis-à-vis.  This directly impacts on the relationships between individuals or groups, even societies.

    Large, controversial conditional movements, often with poor and even incompetent supporting data can lead to the erosion and even the complete breakdown of trust among affected parties.  Emotional, hyperbole, draconian and biased positions can accelerate the breakdown of trust.

    Once this bond is broken, rebuilding trust is a very lengthy process.  Rebuilding trust is an act of leadership!

    What is your organization doing to keep trust intact?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    We presented, Should Cross Cultural Serious Games Be Included in Your Diversity Program: Best Practices and Lessons Learned at the Online Conference, New Diversity Summit 2020 the week of September 14, 2020.  Check Out this timely event and contact the organizer for access to the presentations!!

    You can contact this author as well.

  • Are Your DEI Wheels Spinning?

    Are Your DEI Wheels Spinning?

    Originally published as a LinkedIn article on July 6, 2021, this updated version is reprinted here with the permission of the author.  Links to relevant sources are added.

    Lately, many LinkedIn posts bemoan the state of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The seeming slow take up of great ideas.

    Some argue that DEI initiatives are no more than window dressing or organizational efforts to stave-off litigation. To others, they have the appearance of one more management initiative that if waited out will simply go away like so many others before.

    Fundamentally, DEI initiatives require change. A change of (B)ehaviors in the face of seemingly new situations or influencing (C)onditions (Circumstances, Capabilities, Cultures, Environments). When these two variables evolve, so do exiting (R)elationships. The RBC model is well established in social science and was first used to model Cross-Cultural (international business) Negotiations.

    It is multi-dimensional including a temporal schema capable of addressing numerous aspects of human behavior. Furthermore, it encompasses cultural as well as other situational aspects such as individual backgrounds.

    We tested this model using Japanese and American executives. This culturally diverse group needed to develop a level of trust if negotiation outcomes were to be successful.

    Likewise, successful DEI initiatives require that culturally diverse groups develop a high level of trust among those working together and/or members of teams.

    “Tell Me and I Forget. Teach Me and I Remember. Involve Me and I Learn”

    Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, this quote tells us all we need to know. The so-called Death by PowerPoint lecture long in vogue are often forgettable. Instruction, along with the homework prerequisite and tests are traditional methods. Finally, engaging individuals, teams, departments and even entire organizations can create long standing sustainable knowledge that is the basis for behavioral transformation.

    Paper based serious games or “games whose purpose is other than entertainment” originated in the late 1960-70s. In a nutshell, this is an interactive training solution. Subsequently, online serious games can incorporate actual scenarios designed to immerse players solving real world challenges.

    Rather than a video game whereby players engage with electronic decision trees, human-to-human serious games train players/teams to deal with diverse yet real colleagues. Collaborative scenarios direct participants to collectively solve problems while learning how their culturally dissimilar counterparts address the same challenge.

    Scenarios can drive engagement by all players including those who may not be typically involved in decision making processes. This is also a safe, no-harm no-foul environment with little to no individual decision-making risk.

    Transformation

    Any successful ‘change’ initiative must answer the What’s in It for Me? question. Humans may resist change if they do not see personal value from such actions. Moreover, while senior executive leadership is required, heavy handed top down My Way or The Highway may result in direct resistance, and/or a more crowed freeway to the exit ramp.

    For example, the current version of the smart phone was first available circa 2007. According to Statista, approximately 1.38 billion smartphones were sold in 2020. Likewise, over 46 percent of the global population own these devices.

    What does this have to do with DEI? In 2006 cellphones were great and becoming ubiquitous. No one knew they needed a smartphone. Our collective Behavioral transformation was caused because the What’s in it for Me question was answered.

    One component of the Conditions criteria, Capability changed as this technology enabled individuals to drive new behaviors based on Apps that emerged. The resulting transformation in our Relationships is well documented, i.e., the use of text as opposed to voice.

    Sustained transformation requires continued energy. The term ‘initiative’ implies a short-term event and one that will pass.

    Trust must be established and maintained. Over time, sustained energy will result in critical mass, or the (statistically significant) number of individuals engaged and trusting each other. This self-sustaining energy is transformation.

    Reframing DEI Initiatives into the RBC Framework can enable dramatic and rapid transformation. Take advantage of these types of cross-cultural models.

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    We presented, Should Cross Cultural Serious Games Be Included in Your Diversity Program: Best Practices and Lessons Learned at the Online Conference, New Diversity Summit 2020 the week of September 14, 2020.  Check Out this timely event and contact the organizer for access to the presentations!!

    You can contact this author as well.

  • Agility, Resiliency, Sustainability

    Agility, Resiliency, Sustainability

    In a recent Harvard Business Review, I was struck by an article about Best Practices for small businesses.  From that piece, “To successfully navigate Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) challenges like Covid-19, family business leaders can look to best practices from another organization that specializes in VUCA situations—the U.S. military’s Special Operations Forces (SOF)” (emphasis added).  There are a lot of good ideas in the article that organizations can implement immediately.  Moreover, we have long recognized that properly vetted and adjusted as necessary, Best Practices from others can add significant value to organizations in other industries.

    Out of the Darkness

    It is easy to be overwhelmed these days.  Mildly put, most if not all organizations were thrown into chaos in less than a month.  Depending on your business you are either partially operating or still waiting to open-up.

    Regardless, how you work in June will be different than early March (~60 days as of this writing).  Traditional recession management and recovery techniques may not be applicable this time.

    There are lots of ideas about how to use technology going forward.  Digitalization, IoT, IT-OT, among others are hawked as THE solution.  Problem is, it is not that simple, and it takes time and money to implement.  Many midsize firms do not have those privileges/resources.

    There are a lot of actions most organizations can take without major CAPEX investments in time and money.

    Years ago, we recognized that certain industrial sectors, particularly those with a high-risk profile such as energy or others deemed to be part of Critical Infrastructures face unique challenges.  Some have a tendency towards incremental change or even the status quo.  Change is often slow with setbacks.

    Moreover, for every major firm there can be thousands of organizations in the supply chain ecosystems all of which must work well if total costs and profitability for all are to be effectively addressed.

    This seemingly daunting task yet it need not be.  There is a solution set available that can help organizations manage through this dark period and into the light, thriving.

    The mission of The Rapid Response Institute is;

    “Helping Clients Achieve Organizational Agility, Resiliency and Sustainability”

    To that end, we have developed solutions, methodologies, and tools enabling enterprises of all sizes to not just survive but thrive after disruptive events.  Much of this is either free or at low cost.

    Rapid Response

    In our 2009 White Paper, Rapid Response Management: Thriving in the New World Order we posited our new approach to managing your business.  “Rapid Response Management (RRM) is an organizational construct or mental model that enables the organization and its key partners to rapidly sense changes and respond accordingly–quickly.  While it maximizes the effectiveness of management knowledge to address change, it is not simply gut feel.  Rather it is a simple yet sophisticated, methodical paradigm any organization can quickly and inexpensively implement.”

    RRM is a creative and well documented method for running your business.  The thinking was well advanced by 2009 and has been further ‘stress tested’ over the past decade.

    We have updated RRM with our Operational Excellence Platform and interested readers are invited to check that out as well.  Our offerings are designed to help our clients get through crises such as Covid-19.

    We are updating this white paper and it will be available as an e-book in the near future.  If you would like to reserve a free copy, Contact us.

    We are here to shed some light during this dark period.  For no cost, no obligation discussion contact us.  We can put decades of experience dealing with business cycle adversity on your team.

    Feel like your trapped?  You’re NOT!

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to third-party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    We presented, Should Cross Cultural Serious Games Be Included in Your Diversity Program: Best Practices and Lessons Learned at the Online Conference, New Diversity Summit 2020 on April 9, 2020.  The summit will be offered again soon.  Check it Out!!

    You can contact the author as well.

  • Home Base During a Crisis: ‘get up, clean up, and dress up’

    Home Base During a Crisis: ‘get up, clean up, and dress up’

    In the middle of a global pandemic, all of us who can are advised to work from home.  Many of us have worked remotely for a while now.  Whether traveling, dealing with sick children, avoiding traffic or dealing with a natural disaster remote management has become part of our business DNA.

    Yet, this pundit was a bit surprised at some of the social chatter about working from home for extended periods.  After all, I have been working remotely for decades.  Turns out, these fears have a basis in fact.

    It appears there are two culprits at work here.  First is our individual behaviors and secondly, there are serious productivity concerns.

    First Culprit

    A day or two, here and their remote working is fine.  Things can change however; when it becomes a way of life and not everyone is well suited to labor this way.

    While it all sounds good on paper, working as an individual remotely is a difficult thing to do.  Humans are social beings.  Most of us need to interact with others; daily.

    The concept of working in my ‘underwear’ is not sustainable.  Like all aspects of life, a structured process is required.  First of all, ‘get up, clean up, and dress up.’  This is not the weekend where you check the odd email or holiday where you do the same on a beach with an umbrella drink.

    It is your job, the source of your income and often self-worth.  The risks to both of these is high when working remotely.

    While not directly on this topic.  This is one of the best videos on motivation and focus.  Well worth your time to view it.

    Working at home requires discipline as well as your ‘in office’ work ethic.  Challenge will be to sustain this effort.

    Second Culprit

    Some sectors such as Information Technology have encouraged its employees and contractors to work from home on a permanent basis.  This was long ago considered dogma.  Except that sometimes it does not work.

    In 2017, I noticed that IBM was ending its ‘work from home’ policy for many workers.  In their statement at the time, “In many fields, such as software development and digital marketing, the nature of work is changing, which requires new ways of working.  “We are bringing small, self-directed agile teams in these fields together.”  Has anything changed in less than three years?

    Further confirmation of this model can be found with most of the technology innovators and accelerators today.  Often accused of selling real estate these mostly for-profit enterprises claim that working together in a centralized environment encourages collaboration and cross pollination of ideas.

    This is the current common business model for start up organizations around the world.  In the minds of many, it must work and add value to the creative process.

    Another New Normal

    Is this a paradigm shift or just a short term inconvenience?  Reality, probably a bit of both.  E-learning has been growing and this may give that sector a boost.  Software development, the presumed online job, maybe not so much.

    While it is likely that Structural Dynamics are at work the current covid-19 situation.  Our Relationships, Behaviors, Conditions (RBC) model is a useful tool going forward.

    We are changing your blog model for the near future and will be developing this issue in more detail and offering actionable solutions.   In subsequent posts we will develop this further.

    In the meantime, if your challenged by the requirement to work remotely contact us for no cost, no obligation mentoring.

    How is Your Organization Assuring Productivity Remains During the Crisis?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to third-party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    You can contact the author as well.

  • To KISS or Not?

    To KISS or Not?

    According to legend, the term KISS or ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ was coined by Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works and noted by the US Navy as early as 1960.  Subsequent phrases such as ‘Less is More’ followed.

    At first glance, it makes sense not to overly complicate a product, process or project.  Certainly, a non-technical audience such as senior management will need to the issue and risk management strategy explained in terms they understand.  However, in our search for Red. Yellow, Green ratings are we overly simplifying complex environments?

    Albert Einstein is created with saying, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”  This begs the questions, where is that line and how do you know if you’ve crossed it?

    One of the mantras of the High Reliability Organization Mindfulness is, Preoccupation with Failure.  This is not defined as with Normal Accident Theory, where failures are inevitable.  Rather, it is an understanding the modern complex systems one must be resolute in one’s focus on operational issues and rapidly move to normalize out of limit situations.

    In 2016 (and earlier) we made the case that after the Ebola outbreak in Dallas, the Public Health sector was resilient and that issue was contained quickly (links to all three parts of this series provided below).  In this writer’s opinion, this was not possible if the process was ‘worked’ at a too simple level.  Lessons learned from that and other contagion incidents may be useful combating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

    The overused phrase, “failure is not an option” is the root of contemporary Operational Excellence business models.  In fact, failure happens but mitigating its impact and rapidly recovering are the hallmark of successful organizations.

    The graphic is a fractal.  From the Fractal Foundation, “A fractal is a never-ending pattern.  Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales.  They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.  Driven by recursion, fractals are images of dynamic systems – the pictures of Chaos.  Geometrically, they exist in between our familiar dimensions.  Fractal patterns are extremely familiar, since nature is full of fractals.  For instance: trees, rivers, coastlines, mountains, clouds, seashells, hurricanes, etc.”

    Our world is a complex place.  Processes and technologies must deal with that fact.  Successful risk management strategies must take Einstein’s wisdom into consideration.

    Does Your Organization Have a Robust Enterprise Risk Mitigation Strategy?

    For More Information

    The Three-Part Series Referred to in this blog:

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to third-party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    You can contact the author as well.

  • Lessons in Servant Leadership: What Did You Say?

    Lessons in Servant Leadership: What Did You Say?

    Watch almost any media talk show and the interviewer will often interrupt the guest trying to answer the question just posed.  This is such a common phenomenon that it is accepted behavior perhaps driven by ratings that come from on-air confrontation.  It is part of the culture!

    Why ask the question if you’re only going to impose your view in the middle of an answer?  Perhaps guests are just convenient foils.

    When briefing senior management, colloquial wisdom is to get to the point quickly and succinctly.  Words to live by and often put forth by this pundit.  Yet it is amazing how many of us violate the axiom by continuing to talk.

    Truly listening with all senses is a rare skill.  How often have we been in a situation such as a sales call when the customer is interrupted by members of the sales team?

    It is more difficult to close a deal when the preconceived notions of the seller override the buyer’s response.  Often in such a situation the client’s body language will give a clue as to her irritation when ‘talked over.’

    The Power of Listening

    So, you have made your pitch and are now sitting quietly waiting for the client to respond.  However, the so called ‘pregnant pause’ ensues.

    The overwhelming desire is to ‘jump in’ and say something to break the silence.  But how does that close a deal when an offer has just been made?

    Such behavior usually results in either prolonged negotiation or no deal.  The human inclination to talk can be irresistible.  A better behavior is to shut up and listen!

    Some research shows that good listening is beneficial to both employees and their organizations.  However, barriers to better listening include:

    • Loss of Power—The appearance of weakness or not in control of the situation
    • Takes Time and Effort—Daily time pressures may negatively impact on the work product
    • Fear of Change—The speaker must refrain from making ‘foregone conclusions’ until a response is articulated

    In addition to certain listening skills, a good listener must have the ‘intention’ to become one and resist the urge to interrupt.  This can become the framework for real dialogue and exchange of ideas and information.

    Getting to Yes

    In a TEDx Talk, the coauthor of the negotiation book, Getting to Yes discusses the value of listening in any human interaction.  The investment of less than 16 minutes of your time will be enlightening.  One suspects the almost 900,00 viewers would agree.

    Our inherent nature to ‘rattle on’ distracts us from our goals.  We recently discussed the value of understanding the difference between Wants, Likes and Needs.

    Truly listening and understanding your counterpart’s feelings (or deeply personal Needs) will unlock the key to getting a deal done—Yes!  This is a major component of  servant leadership.

    R B C

    Human (B)ehaviors in certain situations or (C)onditions establish (R)elationships between two or more parties.  We have been extending this construct for almost 25 years and it has broad applicability.  What kind of Relationship is established if one or more individuals do not listen to others?

    How Well Do You Listen to Your Colleagues and Family Members and Do They Listen to You?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to other third party materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

    You can contact the author as well.

    End Notes

      https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pregnant_pause

      https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-power-of-listening-in-helping-people-change

      https://therrinstitute.com/want-like-need/

  • Want – Like – Need

    Want – Like – Need

    Years ago, as part of a never-ending series of company reorganizations, a team of our change management consultants headed to the ‘field’ to interview users.  Upon their return, they presented an extensive list of technology investments deemed necessary to remain competitive.

    Their list focused on technology and not business concerns.  Wondering, I asked who they interviewed.  Proudly, they proclaimed the “field engineers.”  When queried–did they talk with district managers, regional engineers and others with P&L or other managerial responsibilities, the answer was “no.”

    This very expensive process by a major professional services organization simply generated a wish list of junior employees.  It was what they thought they WANTED.

    In our current jargon, “cool stuff.”  Needless to say, none of these projects were funded.  Wasted time and money by those not familiar with our business!

    Today, we are driven to LIKE everything!  CRM systems demand input before we have even procured the product or service.  Log on to any given website and the request to complete a survey will hit you before you read the first line.  Five stars or thumbs-up emojis appears to be the goal.

    Do wants and likes add value?  Perhaps a like is a statement of preference, but perhaps the consumer wants the digital driven question to just go away without the hassle of someone begging for a higher ranking like.  Fibbing to surveys has become a national pastime.

    Business should be most concerned about what a prospect or returning customer NEED.  What pain point or problem does your product/service solve?  If you can’t answer that question, no amount of wants and likes will add to your bottom line.

    I may want a hamburger and go to a fast food restaurant with lots of likes.  However, if I am in a hurry and their preference is clearly to move cars via the drive-through faster than those of us waiting inside, my need to eat quickly will not be met.  I may leave without my meal or most likely not respond to a survey seeking likes.  Then never return!

    That lost customer will never surface in any analysis—not even one star.  Enough of those responses and the business will be in jeopardy and management my not even know why.  Collecting likes should never be a Key Performance Indicator (KPI).

    Finding the Pain

    In a recent Global Energy Mentors leadership meeting, an investment group recounted their business model as one that focused on identifying organizational ‘pain’ points.  Once a specific pain was articulated, the search for new technologies that would address/resolve that pain was undertaken.

    This model flies in the face of Steve Job’s, “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”  That may be and sometimes unknown needs are uncovered.

    However, in critical infrastructure sectors where failure is not be an option because it can be very expensive solving a known need is usually most important.  Without exception, this entrepreneur’s success has been focusing on addressing industrial client known pain points.  As an example, our EVPM modeling process demands input from customer groups.

    In this blog series, we have referred to successful change management that comes from addressing the—what’s in it for me question.  From a customer perspective; freeing ‘me’ from known pain is often more valuable than alleviating pain I did not know I had.

    Does Your Value Proposition Solve a Need, Address a Want, or Simply Generate a Like?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to other materials.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    You can contact the author more information as well.

    End Notes

      http://globalenergymentors.org/

      https://www.helpscout.com/blog/why-steve-jobs-never-listened-to-his-customers/

      https://therrinstitute.com/brand-your-digital-oilfield-culture-internalize-its-transformation/

  • Culture Matters A Lot! Cultural Interactions Matter MORE!!

    Culture Matters A Lot! Cultural Interactions Matter MORE!!

    “Failures of culture have been the single biggest destroyers of value in the last five years,” states the former senior vice president of HR of Google in a recent article.  This revelation by one of the contemporary tech giants supports the previous dictum, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”  Depending on one’s perspective, this latter quote can be attributed to literature dating back to the mid-1980s.

    Regardless, the central role of culture in an organization has long been recognized.  One wonders, if this is true, why has so little changed in 30+ years?

    This writer is personally aware of three major cultural debacles by large publicly traded firms where shareholder value was destroyed through inter cultural challenges.  In one case, the ‘then’ acquiring firm was subsequently acquired itself in part because of a seemingly dysfunctional culture.

    The Inc. article goes on to describe three demonstrable risks management must attend to in their mitigation strategies:

    • The internal is now external—Organizational ecosystem employees/contractors/customers now have unfettered access to outside the ‘door.’ Constituent parties can use social media posts to comment about the good, bad, and ugly of an organization.
    • The data on culture shows clear economic impact—Case studies on culture are no longer ‘fuzzy’ and the impact of culture on the bottom line can now be documented.
    • People technology has advanced enough to help—Data and analytics enable organizations to develop a better understanding other their ‘workforce’ market constituency and develop strategies addressing their concerns and needs.

    The article concludes that culture is no longer a buzzword and organizations can leverage it to drive organizational alignment and behavior towards shareholder value.  Culture is now a measurable KPI.

    Care to benchmark yours?

     

    Cross Culture

    If one accepts the above premise, competitive value is created by the organization’s culture.  This is not a new statement and has been addressed by this author in various forums for years.

    Fundamentally, there are two types of cultural interactions:

    • Collaborative—Two or more organizations seek to work together to realize joint value. For example, the organizational ecosystem, i.e., suppliers and long-term customers.
    • Adversarial—Two or more organizations seek to realize value at the expense of others. Examples include competitors, government regulatory interactions, i.e., IRS or legal actions.

    Even an internal team is a composite of several legacy (organizational) cultures not to mention diverse ethnicity and societal circumstances.  It is this heterogeneous environment that the bottom line is ultimately impacted.

    This author began investigating cross-cultural engagement value (or lack thereof) in the era of Culture eats strategy for breakfast.  In any cross-cultural situation, the Relationship is the ultimate value developed, sustained or even lost.

    The R B C model describes a set of interpersonal Behaviors based upon a set of Conditions.  Behaviors are observable and describable (beware of observer bias) and Conditions can be equally known.  The Relationship(s) between parties are latent (not directly observed) and must be inferred.

    This inference is often the source of poor decision-making—the reason so many deals go ‘south.’  If the internal culture is now better defined, manageable and a bottom-line item, focus must be turned to intercultural engagements.

    Even as your organizational culture is more knowable.  Its relationship with other identifiable cultures is not.  If that were true, there might be fewer issues among parties.  One might even surmise; the divorce rate might be lower.

    At all levels, culture is an evolving construct.  Cigarette smoking is no longer publicly acceptable for many while marijuana consumption is.  Fashions come and go as well.

    Certainly ‘pop culture’ evolves rapidly.  Perhaps slower, but so do societal and ultimately business cultures.

    In this pundit’s opinion, successful inter-cultural engagements are the key to long term value—shared or otherwise.  The more the organization knows Who and What it is, the better it will be able to develop a ‘relationship’ with counterparts who know Who and What they are.

    Culture is the Food of Choice.  How is Your Organization Watching its Weight?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate this video and does not have a relationship with its producer and distributors.  It is provided for fun and entertainment only.

    You can contact the author more information as well.

    End Notes

      https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/googles-former-head-of-hr-issues-a-warning-that-all-business-owners-leadership-teams-should-read.html

      https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/05/23/culture-eats/

     http://www.stat.cmu.edu/~brian/905-2009/all-papers/Bollen-annurev.psych.53.100901.pdf

  • Aging Success: Never Give Up!

    Aging Success: Never Give Up!

    We live in a youth culture.  As young Baby Boomers, we were going to change the world.  Later other Gens would say the same.  Is it now too late for those over 50 to attain entrepreneurial success?

    A serial (often failed) entrepreneur, (Kentucky) Colonel Harland Sanders sold his first franchised secret receipt for “Kentucky Fired Chicken” at age 62 (1952).  After a mixed career, Winston Churchill was first elected the Prime Minister of Great Britain at age 66.  The list of older individual success stories goes on, but readers will get the point.

    According to TEDxMidAtlantic, “Backed by mathematical analysis, network theorist Albert-László Barabási explores the hidden mechanisms that drive success — no matter your field — and uncovers an intriguing connection between your age and your chance of making it big.”

    His thoughts are well worth watching.

    He makes several good points:

    • Variations of human performance is relatively small, i.e., difference between world class athletes and ‘normal’ athletes
    • Your level of success is a function of what others think (measurable) , i.e., the market
    • Success can come at any time in your career
    • Entrepreneurs over 50 are more than twice as likely to have a successful ‘exit’ than those in their 30’s
    • There is a positive correlation between productivity and success

    When viewed objectively, these observations make good sense.  For example, musicians that shoot to the top in their teens and twenties are often less productive after they have ‘made it.’  Typically, we hear less and less of them.  Don’t tell that to the Rolling Stones.

    A cliche of this author’s youth, “Hang in their baby” was typically depicted as a kitten hanging from a tree branch.  Cute then, apropos for today’s Baby Boomer entrepreneurs!

    Whether you’re a scientist, entrepreneur or simply want a better career and life, take heart.  Success comes at any age for those who persevere.  While your Condition (age), Behavior (interaction with others of all ages) may be changing in this phase of life, it will only generate new and possibly much better Relationships in the work place as well as your personal life.

    Mr. Churchill demands we “Never, Never, Never Give Up.”  So, don’t!  The best is yet to come.

    Still Have an Idea That Will Change The World?

    For More Information

    The TED Talks link has several additional video talks on the subject and Professor Albert-László Barabási has published the book: The Formula: The Universal Laws of Success.  Disclaimer: as of this writing this blogger has not yet read the book.

    You can contact the author more information as well.

    End Notes

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders

      https://www.google.com/search?q=when+was+winston+churchill+elected+prime+minister&ie=&oe=

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_in_there,_Baby

  • What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Organization: Structural Dynamics?

    What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Organization: Structural Dynamics?

    As the officers, seamen and passengers of the Titanic came to understand, it is not what you can see that gets you but what is below the visible surface.  Visualizing the unseen remains a continuing challenge.

    The current president of the United States is by many accounts the most unlikely political victor.  He is not from the ‘industry’ and has limited experience in this field of endeavor.  None-the-less, he holds the office.

    The results of the US presidential election of 2016 is the subject of innumerable discussions.  Most center around the performance of his opponent and missed opportunities by the opposing party.  This pundit argues that neither of these are the prime reason for his election.

    Almost 30 years ago this writer was a member of the Leadership Team for a major publicly traded company.  Multiple reorganizations and the advice of numerous consulting firms did not enhance our position in a difficult market.

    Something we did not understand was at work.  Why couldn’t those with decades of managerial/industry experience and all the experts fathom the forces at work?  Unless, we could no action taken would be effective.

    What are Structural Dynamics?

    During this period, management theories abounded.  Examples included The New Realities by Drucker, The Fifth Discipline by Senge and Economic Value Added (EVA) to name a few.  None seemed to be able to help us understand the latent forces that eluded us.

    As part of the doctoral dissertation, assessing cross cultural negotiations and the relationship between human Relationships, Behaviors, and Conditions (RBC) we enhanced existing theory into an actionable methodology, Structural Dynamics.

    The fundamental premise upon which the theory of Structural Dynamics is developed is the belief that structures are not static and that more often than not, these dynamics are not directly observable.

    Over time, the very nature of the structure and the very nature of the component parts of the structure may be radically different from today’s composition.

    In other words, Structural Dynamics is defined as “the morphology or patterns of motion towards process equilibrium of interpersonal systems.”  While this sounds academic, the implementation is straightforward.  Think of this as an iceberg.

    The Iceberg Principle—90% of any system’s structure is below the surface or hidden from direct observation.  This latent component controls all the processes associated with the system.

    Implementation

    While there is a quantitative aspect to Structural Dynamics, analysts can use this qualitative approach.  There is plenty of information available; however, it can be challenging to shift through it and separate actionable data from noise.

    For example, while it was evident for all to see most prognosticators wrote off the Trump rallies and the size of the crowds.  Similarly, Xerox had most of the technology for today’s PC, but it took Apple and others to realize the value.

    Think these are remote and one-off events?  Only 60 companies that were members of the Fortune 500 in 1955 were still members in 2017.  Some mergers for sure, but why did the others not see the waves that swept them away?  Sears is a recent example.

    Assessment

    Structural Dynamics analysts can use the following checklist as guidelines.  This list is not all-inclusive, nor is it meant to be a list that one simply puts a check mark next to and tallies up the number of checks versus not check.

    It is more accurately a framework for developing a Structural Dynamics model for any given industry environment.  The following criteria provide a preliminary checklist of set of questions that should be addressed when one seeks a better understanding of the latent variables associated with an industry segment or emerging environment, such as new technologies.

    1. Not obvious or normally thought of as industry driver
    2. Usually not directly related to standard industry practices
    3. Becomes more visible over time or repeated measurement
    4. Often not specific to a single industry or economy
    5. Cannot be determined by analysis of best practices
    6. Typically, not associated with a single or few number of processes
    7. Not associated with processes in a single firm
    8. Can be cyclical or seasonal in nature
    9. Not necessarily random or chaotic events in nature
    10. Not necessarily economic variables in nature
    11. Tend to be long term variables with limited reaction to specific current events
    12. Can remain dormant for long periods of time, but when they become visible the impact can be significant and swift
    13. Demographics may provide insight into emerging or future Structural Dynamics, they should not be used exclusively
    14. Often small niche (or new) players may benefit from Structural Dynamics These niches are often outside of the industry of interest, but are subsequently imported into the industry of interest
    15. Technological developments may forecast future competitive events, i.e., the impact of cellular phones on the pay phone industry
    16. Not all technology is useful in the near term. The technology developed by Xerox, Palo Alto in the 1960s was not commercialized for almost 20 years.

    Computer icon and windows technology was not commercially viable until Steve Jobs (founder of Apple Computer), and Bill Gates (Microsoft) expanded hobbyist’s niches into the personal computer revolution of the 1980s.

    Knowledge of Structural Dynamics variables can defeat the brute force of large deep-pockets organization, although this is not guaranteed.  As this construct evolves, we expect to develop a more robust set of tools, so managers and other practitioners will be better able to visualize their Structural Dynamics environment.  In the meantime, it is useful to define latent variables.

    Latent Variables Are impacting Your Organization.  What Will You Do About it?

    For More Information

    Much of this blog is taken from our monograph, Structural Dynamics: Foundation of Next Generation Management Science.  The Kindle version is available from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U0JKMT0/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

    Fundamental to our Operational Excellence Platform, also see https://therrinstitute.com/structural-dynamics/

    End Note

      http://www.aei.org/publication/fortune-500-firms-1955-v-2017-only-12-remain-thanks-to-the-creative-destruction-that-fuels-economic-prosperity/

  • Systemic Reasoning Errors: Stink’en Think’en

    Systemic Reasoning Errors: Stink’en Think’en

    The April 13-14, 2019 edition of the Wall Street Journal featured an opinion piece by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., Russiagate and the Media’s News Denial.  The author makes the point, “Judgement is teachable.  Long ago, in relation to the Enron debacle, I pointed to the work of Harvard’s Max Bazerman and Northwestern’s David Messick, who theorized how systematic reasoning errors can lead to unethical business judgments.”  He goes on to discuss how the journalism sector may be suffering from this problem, vis-à-vis the Trump Administration.

    Cognitive bias errors impact the way people process and interpret information.  Our attempt to simplify can lead to nonobjective, illogical and poor decision making.  So, do these poor judgement issues concern me?

    The emerging digitalization model to attain and sustain Operational Excellence by definition is systemically complex.  A highly integrated ecosystem coupled with tens of thousands of data sensors and quasi-independent processing systems support field operations.  Moreover, risk mitigation models in such an environment are themselves complex.

    Human decision-making processes in this new environment will necessarily change from the traditional management of automated systems and data analysis.  Extensive training must be part of the transformational process.

    Additionally, Governance models may need revision as well.  What is the role of the Board and ‘C’ Suite (CIO vs. COO?) with the digitalization of the organization?

    Clarification.  The term ‘stinking thinking’ refers to tactics either unintentionally or insidiously used to create expectation biases.  The title uses a colloquial term Stink’en Think’en as a function of lousy thought processes; nothing more.

    The challenges we face are much more than technology driven.  As always, human Behaviors are at the core and Conditions in the near future may be dramatically different from the present.

    New Relationships will emerge as well.  We have previously discussed the R B C model.  It is good guidance for this transformation.

    How Does Your Organization Mitigate Systemic Reasoning Errors by Its Decision Makers?

    For More Information

    How Cognitive Biases Influence How You Think and Act is a very good article on this subject.  Interested readers may want to check it out.

    You can contact the author more information as well.

    End Notes

      https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-media-psychology-effect/201311/stinking-thinking-and-expectation-bias

      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U0JKMT0/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

  • I Hate These Things: Why Does This Always Happen to Me?

    I Hate These Things: Why Does This Always Happen to Me?

    We have long argued that people will change if they understand the new idea/technology value proposition—what’s in it for me?  For some, this question is more difficult to answer than others.

    Moreover, we are all stuck!  This age of digitalization may pass a few ‘off the grid’ hermits by, but for the rest of us there is no turning back.  So, what if I hate these computers and they never work as they should?  What’s a person to do?

    All of us have expressed some frustration with technology.  It doesn’t work well.  It does not appear that Human Factors were considered in the development process.  Various ‘Screens of Death,’ and so forth and so on.  Of course, glitches occur at the least opportune time.

    Turns out this frustration with technology is understood.  Dystechnia is defined as, “A barrier to organizational performance—a condition of flawed or failed efficacy in the use, deployment, or logistics of technology.”  Akin to other disorders of capacity, i.e., dyslexia it is basically the impairment of the ability to control a skill.

    In other words, the inability to manage a Condition.  This becomes a reason to resist technological advancements as ‘nothing is in it for me.’  In fact, it makes my life worse!

    The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), circa 1989 addressed two perceptions driving adoption Behavior, ‘Perceived Usefulness’ and ‘Perceived Ease of Use.’  The what’s in it for me question.

    To change the Relationship that individuals have with technology, management must understand that those who resist may exhibit two traits:

    • Impaired capacity to apply the ‘new’ to daily tasks
    • Perception that it does not help them

    Those regular readers of this blog are aware of the R B C model (Relationship, Behavior, Condition).  From our Cross-Cultural Serious Game, the model was originally developed to address issues around cross cultural (international) negotiation processes.  Relationships are the focal point of this perspective, reflecting commonality of interest, balance of power and trust as well as intensity of expressed conflict.

    Behavior in this model is defined as a broad term including multi-dimensions and intentional as well as unintentional.  Finally, Conditions are defined as active and including circumstances, capabilities and skills of the parties, culture, and the environment.  Of course, time is a variable in this model as well.

    One key feature of the R B C Framework is its emphasis on interactive relationships while providing an environment for multiple levels of behavioral analysis.

    This makes it a useful tool to better understand technology take up resistance.  As with any forensic assessor, once we understand the Structural Dynamics we can implement approaches that will resolve efforts to thwart the ‘new.’

    How Does Your Organization Overcome Resistance to Change?

      https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dystechnia

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_acceptance_model

      www.rri-ccgame.com

      https://therrinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/structural_dynamics_-__version.pdf

  • The Old Order Changeth . . . Knowledge Delivery 21st Century Style

    The Old Order Changeth . . . Knowledge Delivery 21st Century Style

    My apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson.  The long forecast “Big Crew Change” is well underway and may in fact already be (mostly) over.  Many “Baby Boomers” have left the building and the rest will follow shortly.

    For years, this pundit has heard the lament about how to capture their knowledge before they hit the golf courses and it is lost forever.  Many Knowledge Management initiatives have had this Critical Success Factor (CSF) as one of their metrics.

    To this end, several Mentoring, Training and other Venues are available, and this writer is involved with several.  Most are somewhat successful and impart value to those who follow.

    However, some of us impart knowledge by lecturing.  We often have the perception that we know what’s best and sometimes ‘core dump’ as well.

    There may be some justification to this approach as students do need leadership and may not know exactly what to ask.  In my youth, this writer benefited greatly by On the Job training.  This is especially true in technical areas. However, there is another way!

    Instead of Information Push, how about Knowledge Pull?

    This pundit was recently approach by an organization founded by college students, Interviewing Inspiration regarding an interview.  Their mission: “Interviewing Inspiration connects students to business leaders.  We are helping students get in the passenger seat of business leaders across multiple industries.”

    The interview focused on my process of transition from college (and in my case the military) to the workforce.  What were my concerns, fears, challenges, etc. at the beginning of my career?

    The intent is to transfer those life lessons of the past to those currently or in the near future making the same transition.  Granted several decades separate my entry from those today, but one thing does not change—human nature.

    The delivery of this interview is through a Podcast and my interview is available either online https://interviewinginspiration.podbean.com/e/lessons-from-dr-scott-shemwell/ or through the iTunes store https://interviewinginspiration.podbean.com/e/lessons-from-dr-scott-shemwell/

    Other executives have been interviewed and interested readers will find more information on the Interviewing Inspiration website.

    Value Proposition

    It seems to me there are at least two take-aways from these interviews.  First, these are questions that concern this new generation and they are thirsting for knowledge as they make this transition.  It makes sense to turn to those who have gone before.  Hopefully, not to repeat many of our mistakes!

    Additionally, for employers and other interested parties (schools et al) this is insight into the emerging workforce thinking and behavior.  Unfiltered discussion that is not available through traditional surveying/interviewing techniques.

    Information from this bridge across the cultural divide between generations is captured and available to all on a Knowledge Delivery Platform that young people are comfortable with.  A great way to impart insight!

    How Does Your Organization Transfer Knowledge?

    For more information or to volunteer to be interviewed by Interviewing Inspiration Contact Us and we will facilitate the introduction.

    Full Disclosure:  Interviewing Inspiration and its principals, advisors et al and this author and/or The Rapid Response Institute LLC and its principals do not have a business/financial/investment relationship that goes beyond the recorded interview referenced herein.

      https://interviewinginspiration.podbean.com/

  • Decision Making in the Digitalization Age: Who Decides?

    Decision Making in the Digitalization Age: Who Decides?

    “Ergonomics (or Human Factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.”

    According to Gartner, “Digitalization is the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities; it is the process of moving to a digital business.”

    The concept of the “Human—Machine Interface” is well established for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and is the way the human being directs the machine.  One wonders; however, if in the age of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) whether this linear relationship is still true?

    If the Behaviors of quasi-independent systems are different than that of an ICS, the R B C model suggests that in these new Conditions, the Relationships between the Humans and these new Machines (digital business) will be different as well.  If this hypothesis is true, what are the implications going forward?

    We routinely let machines make life and death decisions.  Common examples include, airliner autopilots, automobile cruise control, and more recently the forthcoming self-driving cars.  Moreover, medical procedures are increasingly automated.  Boundless other instances exist as well.

    When it is appropriate for the human to intercede in automated decision-making processes?  What happens in a business setting if the human is wrong?

    High Reliability Management

    Management is evolutionary, not revolutionary.  Each generation and business model builds on thousands of years of human experience.

    The current High Reliability Management (HRM) model seems to address these emerging decision problems well.  The model consists of five traits:

    • Sensitive to operations
    • Reluctant to accept “simple” explanations for problems
    • Preoccupation with failure
    • Defer to expertise
    • Are resilient

    Applying these traits at the operational level allows the human to focus on the overall set of processes while allowing the machine to make its appropriate decisions.  With supervisory expertise coupled with an understanding that failure happens, policy can be set that enables the human to intervene as necessary without career repercussions.

    Moreover, IIoT is complex by nature and largely focuses on operational processes.  Implicit is the need to respond quickly to events, i.e., resilience.

    At the dawn of digitalization, management is already equipped with the tools to manage the largely automated enterprise.  How these tools are deployed is the difference from adding shareholder value vs destroying it.

    Do Intelligent Machines Have a Culture(s)?

    Hollywood has long presented cyborgs and other robotics as human like.  While we may be some years from truly independents machines, they do exhibit certain behaviors based on a given set of conditions.  This generates a relationship with human administrators.

    So, if organizational culture is the ‘way we do things,’ then one can surmise machines do have a culture (somewhat dependent on the human programmers).  If this hypothesis is supported, then the era of digitalization must add one more culture to its multi-cultural engagement processes.

    What is your Firm’s Decision Model in the Age of Digitalization?

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors_and_ergonomics

      https://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/digitalization/

      Shemwell, Scott M. (1993). Management Theory—Evolution Not Revolution, Proceedings of the 11th Annual Conference of the Association of Management, 11 (2), pp. 74-78.

  • Resolution: Celebrating a New Operational Start–One More Time

    Resolution: Celebrating a New Operational Start–One More Time

    It is hard to believe we are now 19 years into the century.  Seems like only yesterday we were worried whether the lights would stay on at Y2K.

    Each year many of us promise to do better at a list of things, some personal and some professional.  Some days or weeks later, some or all of our resolutions go unmet.

    For many heavy industry sector firms, January 1st is also the start of a new fiscal year.  New budgets will be released, and management will extol their workforce to meet new (possibly stretch) targets.

    If the equity markets are a barometer of things to come (leading indicator), then the Conditions organizations will find themselves in will most likely be volatile and some segments may even face significant challenges.

    For example, WTI crude oil closed on January 4th at US$ 47.96/bbl.  Some are bullish on this sector, with an expectation higher prices in the future.  History has shown this faith may not bear out.

    Regardless, organizational Behavior will need the flexibility to adjust in a process relevant time frame as conditions change.  The resulting Relationship with the firm’s ecosystem is a function of the behavior in the conditions or market circumstance.

    In other words, the R B C Framework is applicable in our everyday corporate life.  Why is this important?

    One way to view the global marketplace is one of continual change.  Often purveyors of Change Management/Organizational Transformation present this as a point in time.  Statements about continuous improvement are seemingly afterthoughts.

    We have developed an Operational Excellence Platform, as depicted in the following figure.  Please note that it is built upon the R B C Framework.

    Since the nature of Relationships across the organizational ecosystem will continuously evolve based on the marketplace, it follows that maintaining Operational Excellence depends on these tree factors.  Safe and profitable operations on strong, positive relationships.

    How well does your organization understand the R B C Framework for its ecosystem?

    Further Reading

    The author and others have published extensively on this subject.  The list of appropriate articles and papers is too extensive to list here.  However, readers are invited to peruse Dr. Shemwell’s extensive list of blogs and publications.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    For further information Contact Us.