Tag Archives: management

If the future of work is automation, what is the future of management?

Posted on August 12, 2016 by lawrence serewicz

I have been wrestling with this question for a few months. I have been interested in the way automation is changing work and what it means for the future of work. Some of my essays over the past years have … Continue reading →

Posted in creative destruction, culture, management | Tagged Algorithm, Artificial intelligence, Automation, Capital (economics), Computational fluid dynamics, Computer science, Facebook, innovation, management, Quantopian, The Wall Street Journal | Comments Off

The myth of the transparent organisation.

Posted on June 11, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

We will hear that transparency is good for organisations and organisations will even tout their transparency. In many cases, the organisations believe what they are doing is transparent. They publish information on a regular basis that describes decisions, financial positions, … Continue reading →

Posted in compliance, coruption, learning organisation, transparency | Tagged Accountability, Business, Enron, management, Organization, transparency, United States | 1 Comment

Where do you discuss bad news?

Posted on April 14, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

In any organisation, you have to discuss bad news but few people consider where it is discussed. How you discuss bad news will influence, if not determine, the success of your company. The issue is more than critical upwards communication … Continue reading →

Posted in change, change managment, culture, leadership, learning organisation, management, renewal | Tagged Apple, bad news, Business, Company, Enron, management, Organization, Organizational culture, Senior management, senior managers | 2 Comments

Three ways to check your company’s health

Posted on February 13, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

Most chief executives think that they can understand their organisation by what is going right. They look at performance indicators to see what is green, what is delivering the best results and what offers the most profits. For an individual, … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, customer service, learning organisation, management | Tagged Business, Chief Executive, Chief executive officer, corporate culture, disciplinary, grievance, learning organisation, management, organisation, Organizational culture | Comments Off

Is quality or timeliness the key to FOIA success?

Posted on January 31, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

Is quality or timeliness the key to FOIA success? If you work with freedom of information, you face an eternal debate: is it better to have a lower quality response on time or a complete response that is overdue. In … Continue reading →

Posted in change, change managment, creative destruction, Uncategorized | Tagged foi, Freedom of Information Act, Government, local government, management, Organizational culture, timeliness | Comments Off

How well does your company handle a fire drill?

Posted on October 2, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

As a chief executive or as a senior manager, you will want to know the health of your organisation. You will want to know if the organisation can carry out your vision. Are staff engaged with the company? Will they … Continue reading →

Posted in change managment, leadership, learning organisation, management | Tagged Business, Communication, Drill, Fire alarm system, Fire drill, management, Organization, Senior management | Comments Off

Culture eats your structure for lunch

Posted on July 10, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

Peter Drucker allegedly said that culture eats strategy for breakfast. If strategy is for breakfast then your structure is for lunch. Culture will overcome any structural chart or any reorganisation. Companies fail because they believe that a restructure will change … Continue reading →

Posted in change managment, culture, leadership, learning organisation | Tagged Business, culture change, Double loop learning, Learning organization, management, Microsoft PowerPoint, Organizational culture, Peter Drucker, PowerPoint | 25 Comments

Systems thinking for middle managers: workplace democracy in action.

Posted on April 6, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

As middle manager, I have been thinking a lot about how I do my job. As a colleague explained to me, “We are the jam in the sandwich.” I liked the idea because it shows a central, sweet, and connective … Continue reading →

Posted in change managment, learning organisation, management | Tagged brendan mccarron, Business, Democracy, difficult conversations, Harold Jarche, Human resources, leadership, management, Middle management, Senior management, Thought | 1 Comment

The rise of the networked managers: sense making in the social media age.

Posted on September 27, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

The manager’s role is changing. The new organisation, connected and networked, requires managers to deal with internal and external issues. The required skill set is changing. In the past, the focus may have been on service delivery based on top … Continue reading →

Posted in change, change managment, knowledge worker, management | Tagged Active management, Business, claremont graduate university, corporate management team, management, Middle management, Passive management, Peter Drucker, Senior management | 7 Comments

What you allow to interrupt you defines your priorities

Posted on August 24, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

We often hear management gurus advising us that effective and successful leaders know how to prioritise their work and the work of their company. To an extent, they are correct. What is left unsaid and not discussed is how those … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, learning organisation, management | Tagged Business, Chief executive officer, Effective Executive, leadership, management, management gurus, Peter Drucker, Senior management, United States | 5 Comments