Posts tagged as:

chaos

A Wild Horse Called Chaos

by Steven M. Smith

Is chaos like a wild horse?
The root for the word “manage” is an Italian word that means “to train a horse.”
Inhumane horse trainers (managers) see a rebellious animal who must adjust to a new environment. They transform the horse through a process they call “breaking.” They break the will of the horse so it submits [...]

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Short-Circuit Chaos?

by Steven M. Smith

Managers who like to be in control have a predictable reaction to their organization grappling with a change which creates chaos — they want it to stop. When? Now, right now.
What happens if management decides to short-circuit chaos with a magical solution? What happens if management accepts chaos as a necessary but uncomfortable period of [...]

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Make Results Predictable

by Steven M. Smith

Your organization is in chaos. You want to create pockets of stability. What do you do?
Make the results of meetings predictable.
Winfrey is the manager of a geographically dispersed software development team at the XYZ Corp. Ellsworth, her manager, assigns Winfrey the management responsibility of hosting a biweekly training conference call. The objective is to keep [...]

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The Satir Change Model

by Steven M. Smith

Every organization must deal with change. Virginia Satir, a pioneering family therapist, created a change model to help families process change. Her model fits organizations equally well. This article explains Satir’s model and offers insights into how to more effectively manage the change process.

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