The Collingridge Dilemma This dilemma was originally formulated by David Collingridge of the Technology Policy Unit within the University of Aston, UK and described in his book entitled, “The Social Control of Technology”. It highlights the following double-blind problem faced by anyone trying to manage the impact of technological change: Information Problem The impact of…
How to Handle Peer Competitors When it comes to not only surviving but actually thriving within any organization, it turns out that we can draw valuable lessons from nature. In 1855, in his paper on the laws of evolution, Alfred Russel Wallace wrote: “Every species has come into existence coincident in both space and time…
Gaining Acceptance When people meet for the first time, there is always an initial wariness. It takes time for people to get to know each other and, because of this, all new hires go through a process of acceptance which takes time and which can have a lasting impact of their chances for success. Whenever…
Client-Centric Organizations In a previous blog post on feedback control, I described how, to be successful, organizations need to be capable of fast response in times of change. I also described how effective feedback systems within an organization can allow them to achieve this without over-reacting. It turns out that this has clear implications for…
Those who can’t, … teach Throughout the professions, there are those who preach one thing and practice something entirely different when it comes to the way in which they manage their own lives. Accountants who forget to file their own tax returns, dentists with rotten teeth and doctors who eat all the wrong foods and…
Brainstorming Sessions? There’s a school of thought that, when it comes to innovation, the best approach is to hold regular brainstorming sessions. While it’s undoubtedly true that such sessions can be useful, they are no substitution for the creation of an organizational culture within which innovation is nurtured at all levels. Provided they are run…
Management’s highest priority is employee productivity. Inevitably this means that the relatively small number of managers in every organization is faced with the challenge of monitoring a large number of employees. In response to this challenge, designers of today’s organizational structures turned to the Panopticon. The design of this building invented by the English philosopher Jeremy…
What is Feedback Control? Feedback control was first developed by engineers as a technique to control complex systems functioning within dynamic environments. It turns out that this technique has relevance to the work environment and can help make managers aware of the difference between what the employee is actually doing compared to that…
Management Inconsistency Can Lead to Employee Turnover Through the deployment of an evidence-based approach to both recruitment and management development, it has become clear that inconsistency in the way in which employees are managed can lead to increased employee turnover rates. The consent is that: Employees need to know that they are being treated consistently…
Are Performance Appraisals a Waste of Time? Many managers, when asked their opinion about performance appraisals, report that they believe it to be an unwelcome distraction that serves little or no useful purpose. Many management gurus advise organizations against appraising their employees. Additionally, when organizations employ some form of appraisal, they often do this only…
