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Systematic approach

In the section on professionalism we considered how other professions cope with the magnitude and complexity of change that is currently facing management. This diagram illustrates then main features of their approach.

Both doctors and engineers work in environments that are subject to continuous change and advancement, far in excess of those currently experienced in management, and yet, far from being disabled by change, they successfully use it to consistently deliver effective conclusions.

They do this by working at a meta-level – a level which transcends and encompasses the change. Their effective working at this level depends on three things: a recognition that results arise from system (and clarity over what those results should be); a clear understanding of how the process variables in the system impact the result; and a disciplined approach to working with those variables to ensure the result is achieved.

Our argument is, that to succeed in working with increasing levels of change and complexity, management need to learn from this professional approach, and to adapt it to their own needs.

The business environment too has results that need to be achieved. And these results arise from a system in which a host of variables influence the outcome: skills, working practices, culture, policies, etcetera. But how systematic and disciplined is management’s approach to analysing and experimenting with those variables in order to ensure a sustainable result?

In this section, we look at some of the principles we explored in professionalism, and adapt them to the needs of management:

• In Systems Mindset: we look at how the meta-perspective is key to managing in a fast changing world
• In Process Solutions: we look at how management and operational processes provide a valuable basis for systemic solutions
• In Management Disciplines: we look at how the disciplines and tools of science and technology can be adapted for management

Please click on the links above to explore these areas in greater detail (or if you have loaded ‘site navigation’ click the appropriate sub-headings).

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