With Galbraith in mind, this blog is about getting people thinking!

Who’s it for?

This blog is aimed at people who have an interest in improving their organisation through ‘Systems Thinking’ and are curious enough to read and engage.

Why me?

I won’t claim to be an expert* (you can verbally abuse me if I do) but, given my role as a Business Consultant, my experience to date & my ongoing massive interest in the improvement arena, I have the motivation and a level of knowledge to write what I consider to be relevant posts.

* every time I learn something new, I realise how little I actually know.

What do I want from you!

Not a lot!

• ‘sign up’ to receiving my posts if you wish;
• read these posts, with the mindset of how it might assist in make your organisation better at delivering value to customers and improve your working lives; and
• where you find value in doing so – use the comments facility (below each post) to:
  • provide constructive feedback to me; and/or
  • extend the post by sharing a relevant insight relating to the message

Caveat: whilst I am really keen on ‘stimulating thought’ and I will post on things which will contradict much of ‘modern management’, please bear in mind that I am writing as much for me as anyone else and am simply exploring ideas in a (likely) amateur fashion. As such, I make the obvious request to please be respectful in your comments and suitably gentle in your (no doubt) justified critique. Thanks.

 ‘Squire to the Giants’: What’s in a name?

“…If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” (Sir Isaac Newton)

I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes pain) of reading a lot of books related to systems thinking and improvement: From Deming, through Ohno, Goldratt, Womack et al, Seddon and Rother, with Kohn and Johnson on the way. I’ve ventured sideways into Forrester and Beer. I’ve even read Taylor and Gilbreth.  I’ve watched a fair few YouTubes of old greats (such as Ackoff) and new thinkers (such as Sinek). I’ve got an Amazon wish list longer than I expect to achieve (or can reasonably justify!).

I know that looks like name dropping (in fact it deliberately is)…my reason in doing so is to:

• show that ‘I’m not making this stuff up’…it comes from somewhere!; and
• state my view that ‘there isn’t one answer or one person who has said all there is to say’

…and, since I will keep reading (in spite of its effect on my bank balance), I expect to find many more giants standing on the shoulders of giants standing on the shoulders of giants…

Finally, a squire refers to “a medieval knight’s helper or assistant” who one day might become a knight himself. I don’t expect to become a giant…but I will certainly do my best to help them out in their work.

My posts come from ‘brain farts’ that occur after reading and pondering these giants…and using their thinking within my work.