There are four topical challenges managers are addressing right now.
- Digital effectiveness
Which integrated systems and processes do we need to manage information?
- Operational effectiveness
How should we configure our internal and external value chains and build resilience?
- Governance
What roles do leaders play and how do they make good decisions?
- Business model development
What is the business and financial case for taking action?
Each department has variations on these themes to deal with – take sustainability as an example.
- Digital: AI is pitched as a solution for dealing with overwhelming data confusion
- Operations: New technologies have to be evaluated and assessed against like-for-like replacements
- Governance: Leadership in sustainability requires regulatory fluency and agile political footwork.
- Business Model: Financial models often don’t recognize the long term benefits of sustainability.
These are complex things to manage. It’s not surprising that some teams are feeling stuck – wanting to make progress but lacking budgets or resources.
A possible remedy? Nemawashi.
Nemawashi is a Japanese term for “digging around the roots” – and tells us to have informal discussions with stakeholders to prepare the foundations for change.
It’s a core element of the Toyota Production Process (TPS), and Japanese corporate culture.
Progress in organisations doesn’t happen quickly.
It happens when managers and teams take the time to engage widely, construct narratives, and build enough consensus to take action.
Handcrafted insight 