And in all the other forms of the principle of sufficient reason, we shall find the same emptiness and shall see that not time only but also space, and the whole content of both of them, i.e. all that proceeds from causes and motives, has a merely relative existence, is only though and for another like to itself, it.e, not more enduring. The substance of this doctrine is old: it appears in Heraclitus when he laments the eternal flux of things; in Plato when he degrades the object to that which is ever becoming, but never being; in Spinoza as the doctrine of the mere accidents of the one substance which is and endures. Kant opposes what is thus known as the mere phenomenon of the thing in itself. Arthur Schopenhauer {1788-1860}
Organization Structure
- Defines who has the authority to do what
- Much of org power is allocated via structure
- Dangerous to try to change early on
- The way an organization organises people and technology to support mission, vision and strategy
- Elements – Performance measurement and incentive (Motivation) systems
- Units – How direct reports are grouped – Function, products, geographical area
- Decision rights and rules – Who is empowered to make what decisions?
- What rules to align decisions with strategy?
- Reporting relationships – integration mechanisms – integration of units
- How do lines of reporting, coordinate effort?
Lastly, the ancient wisdom of the Indian philosophers declares ” It is Maya, the veil of deception, which blinds the eyes of mortals, and makes them behold a world of which they cannot say either that it is or that it is not: for it is like a dream. It is like the sunshine on the sand which the traveller takes from afar for water, or the stray piece of rope he mistakes for a snake” But what all these mean, and that of which they all speak, is nothing more than what we have just considered the world as idea subject to the principle of sufficient reason. Arthur Schopenhauer {1788-1860}
Structure Assessment
- The structure must support strategy – it is necessary to have persuasion skills
- Look at the interactions of structural elements – are elements in harmony?
- Modify strategic direction – change either mission, vision and strategy or the implementation
- Questions – are we measuring and rewarding achievement that matters most to our strategic aims?
- Right people at the right places, to work toward core objectives?
- Does grouping of team members help us to achieve the mission and implement strategy?
- Is it clear who is accountable for what?
- Do reporting relationships help align efforts?
- Is the integration of work units effective?
- Does the allocation of decision rights help support the best strategy?
- Balancing – between centralization / Decentralization
- Standardization / Customization?
- Fixed performance-based- reward?
The Book of Changes (I Ching) is often considered the oriental apotheosis of adaptation, of flexibility. In this book, the recurring theme is one of observing life and blending with its flow in order to survive and develop. In effect, the theme of this work is that everything in existence can be a source of conflict, danger, and, ultimately, violence if opposed from the wrong angle or in the wrong manner – that is if confronted directly at the point of its maximum strength since this approach renders the encounter potential devastating. By the same token, any and every occurrence can be healthy by approaching it from the right angle and in the proper manner – that is, at its source, before it can develop full power, or from the sides ( The vulnerable ” Flanks of the tiger” ). SECRETS OF THE SAMURAI