HEART OF THE ENTERPRISE : Stafford Beer - Book Review

To my mind, I have classified Organisational Development in 2 broad categories

1. OD dealing with structures systems and processes
2. OD dealing with behaviours and mindsets, anxieties, feelings etc.

Heart of the enterprise belongs to the first genre of OD. The question to my mind while reading the book is can genre 1 intervention be effective without the genre 2 interventions and even if we establish that both are required, the question like the chicken and egg riddle is what comes first.

Nevertheless, a genius can be ignored only at ones own expense and Stafford beer is truly genius par excellence, for what he sets out in the book is a model of viable system. Stafford Beer likes to call himself a cybernertician – a word first coined by Norbert wiener. He defines cybernetics as the art and science of effective management. Cybernetics also means “steersman ship” and since managers themselves have to steer the company through turbulent environment, the definition aptly reflects the role of Managers.

Part 1 of the book sets the tone by discussing the nature of systems and boundaries. The questions raised by the author are equally in the realm of management as in the realm of philosophy, psychology or cognition. Since a large part of systems and boundaries are a subjective phenomenon, the question again to my mind is the process of establishing an agreement on what those boundaries etc. are amongst the senior managers. On one hand a common language amongst managers helps in reaching agreements on common maps, but on the other hand the internal mindsets with its own sets of defensive routines seriously risks the ability to work through them.

The author goes on to state aphorisms axioms and principles, which do certainly enlighten the task of manager and by the end of Part 1 he establishes the role of Management Unit in the scheme of viable model. Looking at Managerial Task as variety handling through its operational element and environment by effectively designing suitable amplifiers and attenuators does provide looking at new ways of handling old problems. Being based in Mumbai, at one level of recursion, Railways could definitely look at handling local train traffic in this perspective.


Part 2 continues in the tradition of Part 1 where question such as what is freedom (computable function of systemic purpose as perceived) and what it is constraints are propounded. But more importantly this part unravels the levels of viable system. The author uses the aid of diagrams to explain these levels without which it is next to impossible to understand viable systems. Here I would want to mention the aspect of Level 5 which deals with closure. At an individual level, closure is provided by conscience, but at an organisational level, the collective conscience of the organization has to be agreed upon which helps the organization to be survival worthy. This is where Management meets philosophy, art meets science.

The effective functioning of viable system within the realms of organization is tackled in Part 3. Question of Measurements, Plans, Recursion and Identity are addressed. In Chapter 11 one of the most comprehensive definitions of Manager I have come across is stated. Having earlier read about Stafford Beers work, I myself have applied his concepts of measurement in my organisational context. The same is mentioned in my blog “

http://sellingretailsales.blogspot.com/2008/07/performance-measurement-application.html

The concept of recursion is also elaborated in this section where only through practice, one can effectively understand at what level of recursion one is operating. The recursion theory is definitely an aid in OD but to count on the book as a prescriptive tool will not help since it is possible that several recursions can be confused and only a larger reading of Stafford beer combined with practice and debate can enlighten the individual reader on recursion.

Section 3 ends with an elaborate exercise on identiy:a dilemma where sharing of mental maps are discussed. This is where the book for a brief interval looks at Genre 2 OD interventions and acknowledges that Managerial suitable style combined with suitable response are a prerequisite for effective Management interventions

I am glad that in Section 4, the author uses the example of a service industry(insurance) in using the viable model for diagnosis since throughout the book manufacturing examples were abundant but not service sectors.
The section deals with the implementation of viability in organisational context. Having myself worked in an insurance industry, I was able to relate with different functions at a more intimate level. At one level the example helps in clarifying all that is mentioned in the previous section, but at another level, more importantly it stimulates the reader to effectively design the viability for his own firm. The book would achieve its purpose if every reader could look at his own organisation from the model described.


Overall, the book is a challenging read for all those who venture, but is also enlightening to all those who have patience and want to work through complexity. Every chapter end with a fictional story “Later in the Bar” which is further aid to understand what has been read.

The question still that remains unanswered is “Can structures induce changes in behaviour that is lasting”. Well the genre 2 OD definitely would definitely answer no.

Nevertheless all models are only an aid to unravelling complexity and the closer the model is to the current realities the better it is. On that count Stafford beer’s Heart of the enterprise is truly an astounding work of art and science for no author has ever so beautifully combined various disciplines to provide its readers with a comprehensive understanding of Management. What also lends credence is that his understanding is backed by serious experiences which he has had in designing organizations.


I would want to end this review with a quote that ended the book and so this review
“Life is a process and not a justification”.

Ideology

Starting the year with one more poem I have penned titled "Ideology". I hope that those who read do leave their frank thoughts on my poem and any suggestions likewise

The mind full of confusion, the heart filled with hate
Spitting venom, without learning to discriminate.

Telling self, “I am right, I am right”
Manipulating oneself to justify the fight

Real feelings lost in a maze of emotions,
Mindless chatter in a haze of commotion

No bridges to build, no seas to cross,
defending the ideology at all costs.

Conversation

A simplistic take on a sales conversation in the form of a doggerel, but I can't resist the dilbert in me and wrote the below lines. M stands for manager and S for subordinate



M: Tell me how many leads have you got,
Have you done as I had thought,

S: I have sent you the MIS, and with them the leads,
I have met those clients and have sown the seeds

M: Tell me will they buy and when will they
And I want to listen to an answer that is my way

S: Some want the stars, some want the moon,
Some want my blood till I reach my doom

M: Guts and Blood , I don’t care
I want to smell the money in the air
I want the cash, I want the honey
If you cant get it, I have to kick your bummy.

S: I will call them up and tell them to buy
If they won’t can I tell you why

M: Why is not What I want to hear,
If you cant do it, let me get you a peer

S: Tell me in our talk, what light have you shed
In the whole conversation, what insights have you led

M: I create a role for myself in this land
If I don’t know what to do
I do what I understand !!

RUTHLESS EXECUTION

In one of the business presentation I read for an organization still struggling to come out of red, the roadmap for 2010 by the management was summed up in two words, RUTHLESS EXECUTION.

This got me thinking about the term ruthless execution within the context of an organization especially one which is trying to get in the black. There are two points that this term evokes in me

1) Firstly, the term presupposes that the business model is fairly robust and the challenge is now in implementation
2) That implementation has to be carried out with military precision, hence discipline the greatest need of the hour.

Great! Certainty is extremely comforting. My concern and the challenge is see is that there is no historical data to state that the model is fairly accurate. Since what has been done in the past with the refining of models has not yielded results, I am skeptical as to the process of arriving at a conclusion that the model is robust.

Secondly, as I strongly believe we work well with emerging realities rather than with designed futures, then the model should always be responsive to change in the environment.

Intent and skill

Recently, A question was posed to the HR head on how to deal with non performers and whether line manager could be armed with tools to have an exit mechanism. The HR head rightly said that for handling such tools, the line manager should have sufficient maturity and even then there is always a possibility of misuse.

This got me thinking about how a line manager comes to the conclusion that the subordinate is a non performer and can there be some guidelines to going about.

Well presented in a scenario form, the situations describes possible ways of coming to some conclusion. I have also suggested my ways of dealing with those situations

Be warned that the terms INTENT and SKILL themselves have a high level of abstraction and the manager would have to come with concrete examples in action settings which are a deviation from standard norms.
Also the subordinate has an equal right to provide feedback and has to be listened with an open mind

Scenario 1- No Intent but is skillful, then Feedback to and from employee on actions and effects and possible redeployment. If it fails, then letting go


Scenario 2 - If intent is there but lacks skill, then Suitable Skill development in shortest possible time or else redeployment.

Scenario 3 -if intent is not there and skill is also lacking, then Evaluation of possible reasons and feedback to and from employees. If still no change, then letting go

Scenario 4 - If intent is there and so is skill, yet business is not happening as per plan, then the business model has to be tweaked.

Feelings and Poetry

Just sharing my feelings of the current times in the form of a poem

During times of stress, there are multiple voices,
Some relevant and others, mere noises.

Beware, for there are opinions masquerading as insights,
And poor judgements as foresight,
For it is your skill to distinguish the wrong from the right.

This may be the time for action, but so also for contemplation,
This may be the time for aggression, but so also for direction.
For only a sense of urgency coupled with a sense of perspective
Could energise and bring out the creative. (Perhaps the biggest need of the hour)

Why Some Managers Talk Endlessly

The basis for the above title is on observations I have made where the Line managers have had marathon meetings with their team talking about targets, focus etc etc for hours together. This got me thinking as to the effectiveness of such an exercise and the possible reasons in the mind of the Manager. These meetings are normally characterized by one speaker (the manager) and several listeners (the team) where the same points are spoken in several ways. The listener’s involvement is in normally replying to questions posed by the speaker. The listeners have confided to me about the sheer waste of time and their frustrations with this GYAAN. The manager normally talks on responsibilities of the team, their failings, their commitments on targets (in large part forced commitment) , their improvements, suggestions etc where the frustrations of the manager are voiced out but rarely of the team. There is an implicit pressure for the team to conform to set standards of performance and behaviour

As the title suggest, I am going to attempt in offering a couple of hypothesis by delving into the mind of these managers and also state why these exercises are normally counterproductive to the team. The need to speak endlessly would vary from manager to manager and the hypothesis would cover these broad aspects.


Hypothesis 1 – This Line manager is riddled with anxieties as to how or from where the targets are going to be met. Also there is an implicit pressure on him that the team should be under his control. His anxieties on targets and his fear of loosing control ignite him into action. Since what productive action is not clear to him, the action he normally chooses is in the form of speech where by talking and pressurizing his team, he is in some way able to mitigate his anxieties. The task orientation of the meeting is replaced by mitigation of Managers anxieties.

Hypothesis 2- This line manager is narcissist and enjoys the power that comes along with the authority. Every time he speaks to his team, he gets a high experiencing the power of control as well as the ability to moderate other voices. His endless gyan is got nothing to do with the team but everything to do with himself.

For the moment I can think of these two hypotheses to explain my title based on my observations. Hopefully in future I might be able to unearth more the reasons if they exist.

For the second part as I stated earlier, In most cases during such meetings, the team normally shuts off mentally. The reason being that in all non-participative listening unless the listener is really interested in the topic at hand, he would not be able to concentrate on the talk. Lack of participation is also indicative of lack of concrete agreements, hence all talk is empty. Also if the tone is of admonition, the defenses of an individual rise leading to hardly any scope for change et al.

To end this blog, I would just like to state crudely what Humberto maturana (an expert on cognition) stated - You can only make people see your point of view by emotionally seducing them with you argument and not by appealing to objective rationality.