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Organisational Mechanics

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Why Were You Late for Work?

18 June, 2017 by James Lawther Leave a Comment

Logic Tree

Logic Trees There is a simple way of diagnosing a problem, and then finding a solution.  It is called “the five whys?” No doubt you have heard of it, it is a way of refining a problem until you get to its cause. When faced with a problem ask why it happened. Then ask again. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Operations Analysis, Tools & Techniques Tagged With: communication, logic tree, problem solving

Teenagers, Bedrooms and Cash Payments

9 June, 2017 by James Lawther 11 Comments

Over-justification effect

I nearly broke my neck At the entrance to my eldest daughter’s bedroom there is a short flight of steps.  As I went to wake her this morning I slipped on what I could most graciously describe as a pile of underwear.  I took 5 of those steps in one fell swoop.  I think “fell” is […]

Filed Under: Blog, Employee Engagement Tagged With: incentives, motivation, over-justification effect

Human Error

18 May, 2017 by James Lawther 4 Comments

B-17 Cockpit

World War 2 During the second world war, over 60 million people were killed.  That was roughly 3% of the worldwide population.  It was a hazardous time. Amongst the hardest hit were the bomber crews.  The Eighth Air Force suffered half of all the U.S. Air Force’s casualties.  The British fared as badly.  The chances of surviving the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Process Improvement Tagged With: accident prevention, error proofing, human nature

Strategic Plans and Complex Systems

12 May, 2017 by James Lawther Leave a Comment

complex system

Organisations are systems System  /ˈsɪstəm/ A set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a complex whole There are (at the risk of gross oversimplification) three types of system: Simple Complicated Complex Simple systems These are easy to understand and predict.  Boiling an electric kettle is a simple system, there […]

Filed Under: Blog, Wild Cards Tagged With: command and control, complexity, strategy, systems thinking

The Irresistible Force and the Immovable Object

15 March, 2017 by James Lawther Leave a Comment

Irresistible Force Immovable Object

A middle manager’s view of change As managers get older their chances of promotion shrink.  There are fewer senior jobs than junior jobs.  The sad truth is that if you haven’t “made it” by the time you are 40, you probably never will. There is little upside to being a middle-aged middle manager. But most middle-aged managers have plenty […]

Filed Under: Blog, Employee Engagement Tagged With: blame, empowerment, management style

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