Need to reinfuse "life" into enterprises
A fast-changing environment necessitates that businesses have agility, that is, they should be organic like living systems and not lifeless like machines.
According to Michelle Holiday, president of Cambium Consulting:
"This new story is emerging all around us, though few have connected the dots. Why does a flat, networked organization now seem the better choice, when we've relied on rigid hierarchy for so long? Why do we need to engage the passion of people within, when for so long we've considered them simply 'labor'? Why do we need to engage customers in meaningful conversation, when for so long it was enough to deliver a quality product? The answer is that each of these is a move in the direction of resilience, adaptability and creativity. In other words, it's a move in the direction of life." [vi]
A timeless fact about businesses is that they have always had people. Of course, while machines may be more significant in some companies than others...