"Warm-up" Blogs

With the publication today of the UK Government's White Paper ( see attachment below figure) on reforming financial markets, the impact of networks is dawning.

New approaches for conducting audits are overdue in a failed financial system. Yet overregulation and rule making can kill innovation and competitive advantage.

FACTORS THAT THE ROLE OF SUPER AUDITORS COULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ARE INTRODUCED IN A NE W NOTE - click here

The Note features the interaction of formal workflow, and informal networks (see figure below) and the need for accompanying systems that support agility.

My thanks to the real people who played their part in a recent demonstration of value networks here.

reforming_financial_markets080709.pdf

With businesses on the "edge-of-chaos" for the foreseeable future in the UK, the combination of co-creative effort to change processes must be supported by technologies that enable with fully operational systems to be deployed in quick time. Usefully, quantum co-creativity (to capture the current vogue for anything "quantum!") is a positive and highly achievable activity made possible with proven techniques for combining decade old methods:-

> value networks (an open source approach)
> declarative language orchestration of business models (developed by Procession plc)
assisted by:-

> Synchronous Leadership and other approaches relevant to the 21st century generically described as "Discovery Leadership and Management."

A current embodiment of "Rapid Synchronous Process Change" is provided below for a simple system for making a holiday request. The overlay of the value network over the work flow is illustrated .

The full sequence that moves from the value network view to a work flow is shown in the link following.

Classical, methods for analysing value networks have been presented by Allee and Schwabe. These incorporate a mix of parameters including many that derive from Social Network Analysis. Resulting reports are packed with metrics, explanations, and charts for more than 50 network indicators including resilience, risk, stability, reciprocity, agility, perceived value. Their subsequent work has extended to a branch of analysis called "Predictive Analytics," and requires a "deep dive" into the underlying theory to explore how it is validated.

However, experience has shown that such comprehensive data collection and analysis can be overwhelming. Accordingly, we now recommend that focusing on a few critical factors at first, closely linked to the problem situation being addressed, to be both quicker in practice and more effective.

An early example of this simplification was given by Dr Laurence Lock Lee and Cai Kjaer in their 2008 paper "The Partnership Scorecard" which addressed just three factors: value, cost / risk, and an algorithm to compute "performance." Later in that year, in an assignment for Rolls Royce Marine, Meggitt selected a set of variables for each transaction comprising perceived: cost/risk to sender; criticality to receiver; value to receiver; value to network as a whole. These are readily assimilated by participants who have had no previous exposure to the approach.

During 2011, Martin Cleaver of Blended Perspectives, collaborated with Meggitt to create for on line use a prototype to support the value network approach. This includes special features that allow users to click on any element of the value network diagram and call up Roles, Deliverables and related transactions. Currently the system is set to allow scoring of each deliverable covering for both sender and receiver: perceived value; criticality; risk factor. The results are  portrayed both graphically and in table form.

Currently (2012), an online system, with a different platform, is being created for release in the civil engineering and built environment sector.

Links to subsequent guidance will be posted here.

You are at http://tinyurl.com/6zlxe79

In some respects, the art and science of non military life cycle costing see here has advanced since the pioneering work undertaken for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu in the early 1980's.

A Google search for life-cycle costing or whole life costing will now yield a tranche of standards and synthetic values for project designers.

However, a significant stumbling block to their intelligent application in the UK was the silo'd devolution of budget responsibility between:

• development of facilities and
• operations

For organisations still struggling with this artificial division perpetuated by blinkered adoption of 19th century management principles, is now an opportune time to explore how business models built on traditional thinking can be adjusted to reveal where the true value lies in organisations and their built environment?

As usual, the value exchange system (VES)  "lens" allows participants to introduce this innovation and simultaneously engage participants / stakeholders in intelligent conversation about "sustainability," promoting growth and success.

You are at http://tinyurl.com/ooavdyl

The world and its people are currently in a mess!

Solutions must incorporate systemic understanding and stakeholder interest and influence, preferably with transparency.

19 th century management principles are gradually being adapted to incorporate practice that is found in a new generation of inhabitants that know how to use social media and global networks to good effect.

In parallel, there are traditions that believe that we are co-creators not just with one another but with a Divine Creator to ensure the care of a groaning earth and its restoration for being fit for purpose for future generations. Currently, there are almost 35,000 references to co-creativity on the web,

At this point I acknowledge the influence of David Welbourn, co-author of "The spirit at work phenomenon," Dr Charles Savage, author of 5th Generation Management - Co-creating through Virtual Enterprising, Dynamic Teaming, and Knowledge Networking," (still fresh after 13 years), George Por for his insights on "Collective Intelligence," and Verna Allee, the main original contributor and developer of the value network approach.

Building on the shoulders of giants in their fields attention is now drawn to the work of Hubert Saint-Onge, an originator of the knowledge management movement and his new co-authored book with Jay Chatzkel, "Beyond the Deal," which outlines an approach to achieve quantum leaps in corporate performance.

As we enter a new decade, our mood, guided by our conscience will greatly influence our collective contributions in the UK to enterprise survival and success. Refer to blog here.)

It is appropriate to seek guidance from key figureheads with a long term view:

- Her Majesty, The Queen and
- His Grace, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams

Accordingly, the following are extracts from addresses by the above at the turn of the decade (2009/2010) with passages that are notable for me highlighted.

The Queen's Speech.....

"It is sixty years since the Commonwealth was created and today, with more than a billion of its members under the age of 25, the organisation remains a strong and practical force for good. Recently I attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago and heard how important the Commonwealth is to young people.

New communication technologies allow them to reach out to the wider world and share their experiences and viewpoints. For many, the practical assistance and networks of the Commonwealth can give skills, lend advice and encourage enterprise.

It is inspiring to learn of some of the work being done by these young people, who bring creativity and innovation to the challenges they face.

It is important to keep discussing issues that concern us all – there can be no more valuable role for our family of nations.

I have been closely associated with the Commonwealth through most of its existence. The personal and living bond I have enjoyed with leaders, and with people the world over, has always been more important in promoting our unity than symbolism alone. The Commonwealth is not an organisation with a mission. It is rather an opportunity for its people to work together to achieve practical solutions to problems.

In many aspects of our lives, whether in sport, the environment, business or culture, the Commonwealth connection remains vivid and enriching. It is, in lots of ways, the face of the future. And with continuing support and dedication, I am confident that this diverse Commonwealth of nations can strengthen the common bond that transcends politics, religion, race and economic circumstances....

....Christians are taught to love their neighbours, having compassion and concern, and being ready to undertake charity and voluntary work to ease the burden of deprivation and disadvantage. We may ourselves be confronted by a bewildering array of difficulties and challenges, but we must never cease to work for a better future for ourselves and for others

The full text is here ... http://tinyurl.com/ycyv2ha

The Archbishop's New Year message for 2010.....

Remember New Year's Eve ten years ago? All our family piled out of doors to watch the fireworks all around the horizon.

And the start of the new millennium was a moment for fireworks, a moment of real excitement. At one level it may just have been a flipping over of the calendar, just a date in the book. But for so many people it represented something we all dream about – a change in the sort of world we live in, a change that could bring us that bit closer to a world where cruelty, suffering and unfairness get dealt with properly..........

...And it's true that it has been a terrible and gruelling ten years in all kinds of ways, with terrorism and war and natural disaster and the financial collapse of the last fifteen months. Plenty there to distract us, you might well think.

But before we do shrug our shoulders and lower our expectations, let's not lose sight of one enormous lesson we can learn from the last decade. The truth is that there are fewer and fewer problems in our world that are just local. Suffering and risk spread across boundaries, even that biggest of all boundaries between the rich and the poor. Crises don't stop at national frontiers. It's one thing that terrorism and environmental challenge and epidemic disease have taught us.

We share the risks. The big question is, can we share the hopes and create the possibilities? Because it's when we do share the hopes that we really see what it is to belong together as human beings, discovering our own humanity as we honour the human dignity of others.

If we look back, quite a bit has been achieved. There is hope but so much remains to be done: each year, nine million children still die before reaching their fifth birthday – from avoidable disease, from violence and undernourishment.
....................

... it's about not losing our hope for change and our love and respect for the dignity of everyone. In a world where risk and suffering are everybody's problem, the needs of our neighbours are the needs of the whole human family. Let's respond just as we do when our immediate family is in need or trouble. We may be amazed by the difference we can make.

God help you make a difference; and God bless you all and those you love in this coming year.


You are at http://tinyurl.com/yz6ndtx

For some, Christmas is a time for renewing relationships and deepening those we allow to flourish. 

Christians have some rather special relationships to consider, and we can use value networks to help illuminate these. This blog focuses on the Trinity - a key model we have of God.

Some history: in the 2nd century AD, the first major Christian theologian, Tertullian, a Carthaginian who thought and wrote in Latin, coined the term Trinitas. He had some pretty deep disagreements with an important school of thought at the time - Monarchianism. Usefully for us, they had developed a model of, or approach to understanding, "God" as "modalist." This saw the names of Father, Son and Holy Spirit  as corresponding merely to different aspects or modes of the same divine being, playing transitory parts in succession, like an actor on the Classical stage donning a theatrical mask to denote a tragic or comic role or "Persona."  (MacCulloch, D. A History of Christianity. London, 2009).

Fast forward to the theologians of the 19th and 20th centuries and we discover a real attempt to interpret classical trinitarian doctine, to get beneath its surface grammar and penetrate its deepest intention. It is now affirmed that God is Triune, the reality of shared love and life rather than in terms of domineering power. (Migliore, Daniel.L Faith seeking understanding - an introduction to Christian Theology, 2nd edn. USA. 2004).

So, turn to our diagram below. We can still with theological credibility depict three "role plays" shown in our circles with a direct connection to ourselves as a person. But the mix of God as three roles (to our limited understanding, of the mystery of God) is not sequential but a dynamic mix or dance of interplays between aspects of God and each person who allows it. The contributions to our lives can be identified and assessed.

There has to be some "mechanism" for this transfer, and we can utilise the discoveries and theories from physics and other sciences to glimpse how this may occur. This is represented as an inner cloud.

Infusing this, though, is the activity of the "Maker," represented as an overarching outer cloud.

What questions does this depiction evoke? 

I am grateful for:

• conversations with our home group members, Margot, Cathy, Jaysie, Sandy, Stafford, Simon who have patiently endured my contributions and for their prayers
• guidance from Rvd. Phillip Johnson, vicar of All Saints' Weston for illuminating further the mysteries of the Trinity and his inspired leadership.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

You are at http://tinyurl.com/cawyhxw

I have been a member of the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) for two years and enjoyed the dialogue at the meetings immensely.

Invariably held under the gracious chairmanship of the IBE Director, Philippa Foster-Back under the Chatham House Rule, and underpinned by the excellent research unit led by Simon Webley, my own insights and views have been enriched.

It is also amazing what one unearths in the well stocked library. One find was a Papal encyclical with a fascinating critique of socialism tending to mould people into a state machine.

At heart, the thrust of IBE is to cultivate the practice of behaving with integrity, and a current preoccupation is to “embed” public corporate codes of ethics into actual operations.

My own niggle has been to probe an area that has largely been neglected. Whilst much is known about the formal processes and procedures in organisations, scant analysis has so far been directed on the conduct of informal (or social) networks that interweave most healthy organisations.

More research is needed in this key area, which IBE acknowledges. The value networks approach provides a convenient one stop shop for discovering what really goes on in organisations, and for modelling the interaction of both formal and informal activity. Further involvement (and this may need further facilitation to be most effective) can probe the roles people play and value of what they contribute as felt by others as well as identifying the associated costs and risks in doing so.

One of my favourite meetings was addressed by Dr Georgette Bennett, the Director of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. She described the challenges and opportunities arising from religious diversity in the workforce.

In answer to my question: “How does behaviour in an organisation contribute to its long term sustainability (i.e. support its growth and adaptation over time), Dr Bennett replied “Reciprocity is key, it goes straight to the bottom line!”

I’m sure that Chatham House won’t mind my sharing that!

Wonderful!

Gary Hamel, in his book "The Future of Management" poses a direct challenge to all involved with management innovation - how to reinvent our management systems so they inspire human beings to bring all of their capabilities to work every day?

He suggests that human capabilities that contribute to success can be arranged in a hierarchy. At baseline bottom is the ability to take direction and to follow rules - obedience. Next is diligence, which is necessary for accountability. And so on, up to passion - the "secret source" that turns intent into accomplishment. Passion is contagious and "turns one-person crusades into mass movements."

"One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested," wrote E.M.Forster, the English novelist.

Ranking these capabilities in terms of relative contribution to value creation, where efficiency and discipline are taken for granted, Hamel suggests the following order…..

Read this as meaning that obedience, far from literally being worth nothing - a company without rules would soon descend into anarchy - in rule following employees is, nevertheless, "worth zip in terms of the competitive advantage they generate," says Hamel.

So, in terms of value creation, where do we find the capabilities carrying most weight being manifested? Are they most prevalent in the lean managed, six sigma'd, work flow and and highly rgulated processes, or in those irrepressible and splendid informal networks?

Usefully, in order to find out, the value network approach combines both informal networks and formal processes to provide that unique dynamic diagnostic tool for highlighting where organisations need to take remedial action for change, growth and success.

Value networks and analysis (VNA) reveals the hidden connections when inspired and impassioned people create outstanding results together!

You are at http://tinyurl.com/y9ebjff

Applying spirit at work implies invoking it. But now we confront an obstacle!

Matters of the spirit have traditionally been almost the exclusive domain of the "Religions" in the Western World. Yet, one of the main objections to religion in the workplace is that it is a source of division rather than inspiration. In a non Islamic country, (in Islamic countries, being called to prayer during working hours is routine) it could be most disturbing and resented for a Chief Executive of a particular religious persuasion when trying to bring spiritual principles to bear in their companies to force a particular brand of religion on their staff. Additionally, in the US, it would constitute an infringement of the Second Amendment to the American Constitution, which stipulates that people should be free to pursue the religion of their choice.

However, there are many lessons to be learned from Religions and many terms have been adopted by "management."

A common ground that underpins much coaching work is the "Spirit at Work" (SaW) movement, where spirituality helps us in our struggle to determine who we are (our being) and how to live our lives in this world, even at work, (our doing).

Now, a useful starting point is to learn from the wisdom of the past and integrate that with the new knowledge we accumulate and new experiences we encounter.

So, how could a person with a particular religious faith or leaning proceed in order to usefully relate and connect in a relationship of Divine knowledge co-creation?

One route, offered by authors on the spirit at work phenomena, is to suggest that adherents to any one faith adopt a different style - a new paradigm that will better support appropriate conversation.

We can then, in accepting our modern world, more readily become creatively critical of it as we negotiate our own self-interest and beliefs in our value networking!

The table below provides some suggestions. Certainly, in my own experience as a traditional Anglican, it has been most helpful to read more of the dynamics of the world's largest religion, and the inherent challenges it posed both historically, and now, in making sense of life (a).

Yet, another view and approach to achieve transformations from a non religious, almost anti-religious yet loving viewpoint, with great power can be found here (b).

I wonder what may be stirring now.

Features of a religion supporting relatedness.jpg

(a) "Christianity - an introduction," 2007, Alister E. McGrath (Former Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University), Blackwell publishing.

(b) "The breakthrough experience," 2002, Dr John Demartini, Hay House.

Any more good references to other religions would be welcome.

In the late 1980's, strategic planning was the new replacement for the moribund corporate planning of earlier decades.

In 1988, the then Business Development Director of Y J Lovell Holdings PLC sanctioned a review for the Group of key information needs, resulting in a report and recommendations for the "Cultivation of use by staff of information of strategic value." This was undertaken on condition its findings could be made public to the industry when appropriate.

The purpose of the report was to set out the issues which drove the need to develop throughout the Group an outward perspective, to identify information of strategic value and its potential use, and to suggest tentative action plans.

The scale of the changes taking place in the external environment in which businesses operated could be illustrated by long term trends. For example, a trace of the variations in economic growth in the UK displayed intervals of some 50 years between the repeating cycles of peaks and troughs. These suggested that the 80's and 90's were set for another peak of innovative activity and change.

Although the Group was performing well within its sectors, to sustain that performance, entrepreneurship was required to exploit sources of opportunity through systematic innovation. The new age skill to be developed was "insight."

Longer term, changes in Group behaviour could be achieved by changing mindsets to develop an outward entrepreneurial attitude. This was expressed in traditional consulting methodology at the time as "unfreezing current attitudes and then refreezing them after an outward entrepreneurial attitude has been developed." (1)

A key challenge was to develop information flows that support thinking and analysis of strategic issues. Such a task required an understanding of:

• The processes involved in formulating business unit strategy.
• The pivotal role performed by the concept of competitive advantage in sustaining corporate performance. 
• The potential role of scenario variables and related causal factors as focal points for gathering market and business intelligence.

Further, a powerful diagram technique for representing how information could be used was proposed and a draft prepared that could be developed internally to reflect the Group's strategic planning needs.

To develop an outward business perspective, a four phase implementation programme was envisaged consisting of:

Phase 1 - Initiation. With centre staff, the development, use, testing, and agreement to an approach for achieving the programme objectives, to be conducted in two parts, Part 1, development; Part 2, use, testing and agreement.
Phase 2 - Critical Mass. Through a prototype project with a specified Division, the development of a critical mass of interest by implementing the approach agreed in Phase 1: - "Unfreezing of attitudes."
Phase 3 - Implementation. Group-wide implementation of new procedures: - "Changing of attitudes."
Phase 4 - Consolidation. Group consolidation of new administrative systems: - "Refreezing of attitudes."

It was recommended that:-

a) A diagram be developed showing strategic information flows, see following draft:

b) The implementation programme be adopted and action plans developed, using a Goal Directed Project Management approach.

................

In parallel, specific recommendations were made in conversation with the then Managing Director of the Clugsten Group to cultivate services of high value to project commissioning agencies prior to their formulation of civil engineering projects.

..................

Fast forward to 2012, now.  Consider, how to represent business models that neatly span the divide between the, understandably, sanitized versions of business models that appear in audited annual reports and the somewhat messy reality at the coalface.

Note that the value network approach is ideal for underpinning the representation of business models, understood to be a description of the structure of product, service and information flows and the roles of participating parties. (2)

Notes:

(1) Now, more participative methods using a mix of focused conversation, powerful questions and Appreciative Inquiry are recommended when time permits. Try, for example a new form of questionnaire that incorporates these methods ..... http://tinyurl.com/ccgsclo

(2) Defined in "Exploring corporate strategy," by Johnson et al, 7th edition, Prentice Hall, UK, 2005.

You are at http://tinyurl.com/c5k4nuv

Wal-Mart is harnessing the collective knowledge and wisdom of its own company, supplier companies, academia, government, and non-government organizations to explore mutual challenges and develop solutions that benefit their businesses and local and global communities.

Already a wealth of innovation and insight has led to improved energy use and efficiency, reduced or recycled waste, and increased introduction of environmentally friendly and organic products. Their purposeful value networks called SVN's (which is a way of organising win-win collaboration and alliances with a value network perspective) are currently focussed on:-

Greenhouse Gas
Sustainable Buildings
Alternative Fuels
Logistics
Waste
Packaging
China
Forest & Paper
Food, Agriculture and Seafood
Textiles
Jewelry
Electronics
Chemical Intensive Products

Read more and see the video with interviews with executives here

Thanks to John Maloney for drawing my attention to this

A journey along a spiritual path....

2009

The life coach said: “Set your troubled heart at rest. Trust in my methods and spiritual science. There are many Universal Laws that you can use to create the life you want. If that were not so, I would not have told you so, for I am going to be your guide. And if I go and replenish the secrets of success that worked in my life, I shall come back to you and take you under my wing, so that you may also connect through Universal Consciousness and know the internal processes to apply.

The client said, “Master, I do not understand Universal Consciousness and why the Universal Laws work.”

The life coach replied, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one achieves true Prosperity except by me. Peace, light and love is my parting gift to you, such as you will find nowhere else. Set your troubled heart at rest, and banish your fears.”

Written AD 70 ish, attributed to one called John

“Set your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always; trust also in me. There are many dwelling-place in my Father’s house; if it were not so I should not have told you; for I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I shall come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also; and you know the way I am taking.”

Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus replied, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except by me.
“Peace is my parting gift to you, my own peace, such as the world cannot give. Set your troubled hearts at rest, and banish your fears.”

(The Holy Bible, New Testament, John 14:verses1-6 & verse 27)

Exercise in the "Art of Allowing"
(Adapted from the words of the His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace, on 9th April, 2009, at a private funeral service of a friend).

Allow the Grace of God to be with ourselves, so that we can be at home with ourselves and so welcome others. Be at home with our values and vision and at home with God, and relationships will be built up. If we trust in God always, we can believe in being welcome wherever we are, whatever steps we take.

“Be with me,” said Jesus, “be in my company along your way.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Questions:

Is there sufficient and adequate evidence for the message from the AD 70 "coach" to supplement or replace the first version offered by many modern day coaches?

What is the nature of authority?

What is the relationship between faith and scientific reality?

Is a win - win combination available in the 21st century? Should one aspire to one?

You are at http://tinyurl.com/5s8n6py

"Collaboration rather than conquest" could be a new mantra.

We have renamed this site as "Succeed in the value network space" and wish all our readers "power with good purpose."

Christie Sarri  ....... and ........   David Meggitt ......

...

.......at the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis, author of "Zorba the Greek," high on the ancient walls of Heraklion, Island Region of Crete, Greece.

Epitaph: "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free."

Posted...Remembrance Sunday (UK) 9th November 2014.

You are here: http://tinyurl.com/n7xkx8w

The epitaph read - "She empowered the co-creativity of millions."

Sounds good! Why? Because I, for one, believe that, as co-creators with a Divine entity in the world (a Christian would say "co-creators with God in the world;" a Muslim, "creators under Allah on earth;" and in Buddhism, "consider Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom and creativity")  we have an obligation to utilise our capabilities to leave the world in a state that is fit for purpose for future generations.  

Some may align with that purpose. Yet, no endeavour that is hard to achieve can be accomplished in isolation. Consider, instead, creating with trusted colleagues a purposeful business ecosystem that meets both collective goals and aspirations and individual ones. Use the value network approach. Not only will it help to get to the crux of a situation, It will also help engage with and empower your collaborators. Details of the method and its enthusiastic followers can be found here.

The suggested roles that can be played in the ecosystem are shown in orange below and consist of:

• Prospect / client and cluster in which it resides
• Promoter / service formulator
• Alliance partners / participants
• Discipline expert
• Information product developer
• Standards maintainer
• Behaviour guiders
• Competitors

We use the roles to co-develop a value network view of the business ecosystem. My own first pass is sketched out below. It illustrates the mix of deliverables that could be exchanged, either directly or indirectly, between participants playing one or more of the above roles.

Having co-evolved a sense of the possible, decide a mix of strategic thrusts that address market opportunities and work up the detail. It will become clear, in so doing, that you will be able to answer the following questions:

• Where are your innovative contributions hampered by lack of wider co-operation, co-investment, and adoption of your ideas?

• What innovative idea could you take to customers if you could orchestrate a wider community of players to endorse it that would be profoundly more effective than what you can currently offer?

(Source of the above questions: "The death of competition - leadership and strategies in the age of business ecosystems," James E Moore, 1996, Harper Business.) 

I look forward to the journey ahead. ...

My development action plan within the CPD process developed by the Institution of Civil Engineers is here... ICE_Form%203190_DMeggitt.pdf

David Meggitt

You are at http://tinyurl.com/4lxynxr

Value network methods help us visualise the relationships between people, what they contribute and the roles they play, whether as individuals or in groups. The blog here illustrated the place of "spirit" in guiding human activity in organisations.

So what could the title of this blog mean?

Based upon definitions in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the following is today's contribution.

To "Put your spirit into your value networks" is to release your vital animating essence (courage, energy, vivacity, dash) into the collaborative work you do with others. This involves being sympathetic to the mental or moral conditions or attitudes prevailing at the time...to which I will add, beliefs.

So where to begin? For initial inspiration, a recently rediscovered set of articles originally published in the Spring 2000 edition of Faith in Business Quarterly (FiBQ) may be helpful. Now out of print, I am indebted to Dr Richard Higginson Director of Studies at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, a member of the Editorial Team, for permission to reproduce articles from this edition of FiBQ entitled "Spirituality at Work Issue".

The first is a review of the book "SQ: the ultimate intelligence" by Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall. At the time, Zohar taught in the Oxford Strategic Leadership programme at Oxford University and was a Visiting Fellow at Cranfield School of Management where she led a one day course to launch SQ in February, 2000.

The reviewer, Bob Cumber, was a retail banker, and in 2000 an independent management consultant.

The review is attached, which contains the following comment: "As with many new age thinkers she applies subtly different meanings to conventional spiritual vocabulary and she promulgates a smogasborg of beliefs not dissimilar to many new age thinkers. This includes concepts taken from psychology, eastern philosophy, mysticism, gnosticism and all the worlds' major religions, including Christianity, but very much on a pick-and-mix basis. .... The task which Zohar sets her readers is daunting.......Despite these criticisms, SQ does provide very useful insights to any seeking to gain an understanding of the ways in which many people are thinking about spiritual things at the start of the 21st century.

What Spirit.. SQ Zohar Review.pdf

Great minds gave developed the organisation chart that can be seen on the attachment here.

House-Democrats-Health-Plan.pdf

A common reaction is: "God help us!"

Interestingly, He seems to take an even smaller role than the poor customers! You can see THEM tucked away in the bottom left hand side of the chart!

But, is this way of communicating and generating engagement with stakeholders really good enough? Value network techniques are now well known for discovering what really is happening in a system. They effortlessly lead to helping contributors negotiate win-win agreements between themselves, knowing the effect on the whole?

OK! It will take time and a subtle change in mind sets, but start small, with the customer centre stage and gradually add other key contributors. That way it is easy ...here's the start...

Useful links::

Here is an encouraging approach to applying value networks in Singapore to a single hospital.
This is how to visualise, using value networks, how viagra was discovered.
Finally, here's another example in health care. Refer to York Hospital Business Case for Family Care

Above all keep it simple to start with: keep to the essentials and seek help in doing so.

This page is at http://tinyurl.com/m2r2c8

The introduction of Lean methods has had mixed success and is properly considered a life long journey for problem solving, innovation and heightening morale. But reality can be very different if only linked to management and production practices such as six sigma and value stream analysis. These are often conducted within a top down, command and control structure with the intention of driving out variation, - and with a focus that is predominantly on incremental creativity in order to lower risk.

Indeed, leaders in the “Lean movement” have indicated a wish to remove the word “Lean” from their vocabulary. Lean remains a transaction view of the world, where the only deliverables that have value are those that go directly to the end customer. Anything else is treated like an event, not a value transaction between participants working together.

Further, the background situation in the United Kingdom is now less predictable than at any time for decades, and for the foreseeable future, so should we be more tolerant of emergent solutions co-created informally, yet within auditable, trusting environments?

Is a subtle change now needed in approach in order more fully to:

• recognise and absorb both incremental and radical, even disruptive, variation in customer requirements, supplier capabilities and a host of other factors in a businesses’ supply chain and entire ecosystem 
• pinpoint remedial action for change,  growth and success based on both a Lean transactional view AND a relationship perspective in which both formal and informal contributions can be assessed, as needed, in ANY or EVERY exchange?
   

Usefully, to that end, a different perspective, value networks and analysis, on how organisations really work, complete with supporting simple tools for analysis and engagement, is available. It is recommended to fill the gap between:

• the formal hierarchy required for control of the formal processes and
• management guided, self-organising informal networks of co-creative peer to peer collaboration, characterised by:  

• • participants behaving with integrity, guided by ethical principles
  • leading to trusting relationships and exchange of intangible deliverables
  • that can be converted to tangible deliverables of higher perceived value.

Read the white paper here

You are at http://tinyurl.com/ct7xagu