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Spherical PhilThis blog explores what it means to be whole in our lives and businesses in the 21st century.
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Is it possible to implement Anglo-American management models and work practices outside the traditional spheres of influence of the UK and US?
There were benefits realized from the mechanistic industrial mindset but ...
A multi-dimensional approach to the mortgage crisis
One of the greatest challenges and concerns for the mortgage industry in the upcoming year is working with sub-prime borrowers who are or will shortly be in trouble with their mortgage.
There is no silver bullet that will fix this situation. Solutions will require application of Einstein’s admonition to ‘see the world anew’ to deal with this complex, multi-dimensional problem.
Key to success in dealing with at risk mortgages will be to ...
The role of management; Intended or Emergent strategy
Our vocabulary and conceptualization of business determines the style and approach of an organization – intended or emergent.
The very use of the word management – from Latin for hand – largely precludes an emergent strategy or action. Originally management used their hands to show how to do something and then used their
hands to make sure it was done. An approach where one uses ones hands to direct and if needed force a specified action or activity only works in an intended environment.
Solidifying the intended approach is the conceptualization of organizations as machines. Modern organizations are structured largely based on a mechanistic view summarized well by René Descartes,
“The whole visible world is as if it were a machine in which there was nothing at all to consider except the figures and motions of its parts.” – Machines (at least those in Descartes time) can be
‘managed.’ ...
Connections Part III – Terrorism, global warming … Ethanol, Iowa and Hillary Clinton
"We can be more creative about how to grow the economy in rural areas," said Clinton. "We need a whole strategy on rural economic development."
I applaud Hillary’s desire for a “whole strategy,” as readers of this blog know I am more than a little interested in whole. But Hillary (or her speech writers more accurately) should have read my blog posting about Connections (Part I) before her speech calling for a whole strategy.
The AP article reporting on her speech said she called for increasing the production and use of alternative fuels, and improving rural access to high-speed Internet services.
Clinton noted Iowa's success with creating new jobs at ethanol plants, and the high corn prices sparked by the ethanol boom.
"We can create millions of good jobs if we do this right," said Clinton. "Look at what's happening in rural Iowa. It could happen all over rural America if we do this right."
But how many people will die? ...<< MORE >>
Reengineering engineering
Reengineering the corporation failed. Now they are reengineering engineering. Will it succeed?
Reengineering failed largely because it forgot about people.
In 1996, a front-page Wall Street Journal article featured and quoted Michael Hammer, one of the writers of the book on reengineering. "Dr. Hammer points out a flaw: He and the other leaders of the
$4.7 billion re-engineering industry forgot about people. 'I wasn't smart enough about that,' he says. 'I was reflecting my engineering background and was insufficiently appreciative of the human
dimension. I've learned that's critical.' "
More than a decade later we see engineering schools are finally starting to take this lesson to heart. An AP article today (11.03.07) discusses why liberal arts schools are embracing engineering and
engineering students.
The article stated in part.
“The trend is driven partly by changes in accreditation standards in recent years that recognized the need for more well-rounded engineers who can better understand the
...
Connections Part II: Terrorism, global warming … reinforced and more complicated
In an AP article today (11.01.07) retired Army Gen. John Abizaid, the former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, stated the following.
"I'm not saying this is a war for oil, but I am saying that oil fuels an awful lot of geopolitical moves that political powers may have there," Abizaid said. "And it is absolutely essential that we in the United States of America figure out how, in the long run, to lessen our dependency on foreign energy."
The complexity of this was explored in my first post about Connections last week. But unfortunately it gets more complicated.
Gen. Abizaid continued,
"Over time, we will have to shift the burden of the military fight from our forces directly to regional forces, and we will have to play an indirect role, but we shouldn't assume ...<< MORE >>
Connections Part 1 - Terrorism, global warming, the hungry, the thirsty and the economy
Notice the quandary illustrated in some of this week’s news.
Humanity’s growing dependence on oil has many affects; two notable undesirable ones are its contribution to the geo-political instability in the Middle East along with the related terrorism and secondly the contribution to global warming that comes from burning of fossil fuels.
Decreasing our dependence on oil would in theory decrease the geo-political tensions in the Middle East potentially aiding to reduce terrorism either by increased regional stability or at the least by a decrease in oil revenues that are sometimes used to fund terrorism.
Sounds like a win/win/win, geo-political tensions ease, terrorism is reduced while combating global warming.
Well maybe… ...
The future of print media for newspapers.
As one might deduce I love reading. In my library I have a special reading chair to sit in and read newspapers, magazines and books. To close the door and close out the world, to sit and hold in my hands news of the world or magazines that challenge, engaged and expand my thinking is a source of great joy. But my reading chair is not used much anymore.
Recently I bought a wonderful new adjustable comfortable executive chair that I sit in at my desk where I spend hours each day on the web ...
The role of the Web in understanding life in the 21st century
It is only when we comprehend and apply new insights that humanity can grow and reach its potential. It was the application of scientific discoveries of the Renaissance that set the stage for the Industrial Age and led to the remarkable achievements of the 20th century.
The web helps us understand how everything can be interconnected, as a quantum understanding of the world has shown. Hence we can better appreciate our role in life and how our decisions and actions impact others and the world - modifying our actions as appropriate.
We experience the Web’s and life’s apparent chaos and ...<< MORE >>
The Integrity of Whole
The impact of this can be seen in a simple example of a car. There is little value in having parts of a car, even many parts of a car; the true value of a car is in the whole car when all the parts are fully integrated and it is whole.
The collection of car parts can do nothing until connected, but when connected they become something far greater than just the sum of the parts, they become something new, a form of automated locomotion. The car now is transportation which can be used to ...