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Corporation on a Tightrope starts
from the premise that there is no easy road to corporate
success in an age of complexity. Enterprises that are determined
to succeed must abandon hope of finding simple solutions
in a world in which markets are global, hierarchies are
disappearing in the face of advances in technology and the
spread of computer networks, and information has become
the most important natural resource.
Instead of unworkable quick fixes, John
G. Sifonis and Beverly Goldberg offer the reader advice
based on more than forty years of study and hands-on experience
with organizations of every kind. They look back at the
history of the corporation and look ahead to the new science
of complexity, presenting readers with the information needed
to ensure that their organizations can do more than survive
in the midst of the uncertainty that surrounds them.
Their goal is to help thoughtful leaders
create an enterprise that is flexible enough to maintain
its balance on the tightrope between order (which can result
in stagnation) and chaos (which may result in an inability
to function). In that realm are found opportunities for
growth without the kind of needless expansion that will
cause turmoil when the world once again changes.
The flexible organization of the future
is a complex adaptive system that responds to the effects
of market-driven changes on its three critical components
-- governance, technology, and leadership. It is an organization
capable of self-renewal, constantly reshaping itself to
seize opportunities as they emerge and quickly shrink when
the market changes yet again.
The practical tools for creating this organization
are seven principles that -- carefully put in place one
after the other -- create a solid foundation for the future:
- Set ethical standards and do not accept
deviations from them
- Establish a social contract
- Maintain a strong, lean organization
based on core competencies
- Develop leadership skills at every level
of the organization
- Be open to learning, encourage experimentation,
and be innovative
- Avoid restructuring when you should be
regoverning
- Ensure connectivity
The organization that follows this road
will be capable of a flight to success; like the butterfly
of chaos theory, it will respond to changes as well as bring
changes. More important, because of its capacity for rapid
self-renewal, it not only floats like a butterfly -- it
stings competitors like a bee.
John G. Sifonis, former partner and national
director of strategic management at Ernst & Young, is
a founder and CEO of Siberg Associates, Inc., a management
consultancy. He can be reached at jgsifonis@aol.com.
Beverly Goldberg is a vice-president
of the Twentieth Century Fund, a New York-based research
foundation, and an executive vice-president of Siberg Associates,
Inc.
Together they are the co-authors of Dynamic
Planning: The Art of Managing Beyond Tomorrow.
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