Change is a constant in business, but not all changes are created equal. Executives and senior managers are usually most concerned about disruptive changes. They speak of difficulties identifying emerging disruptions and the risks of waiting too long to respond. It’s not surprising because, while disruptions are easy to see in hindsight, they’re difficult to identify prospectively. Predicting and respondign to emerging disruptions demands good judgment, courage, and leadership. Decision-making under the shadow of disruptions is never free of uncertainties.
These concerns lead us to develop various training and mentoring opportunities for senior business leaders and decision-makers. Our objectives were to help executives make better decisions under uncertainties caused by disruptions by arming them with better predictive tools, insights, and practical experience. This series will follow a similar path.
Distinguishing disruptions from other changes requires considerable judgment and always involve significant uncertainties. Disruptions, by definition, challenge the status quo and existing norms. As a result, it’s not practical to rely on history and experience in identifying in crafting a response. Coping and exploiting disruptions are processes that organizations must prepare for in advance. We'll cover these issues throughout the series.
I've long stressed that no one has a monopoly on good ideas for coping with disruptions. This is why we continue researching, expanding and improving our toolsets. We also reach out to business owners and executives who've lead organizations through disruptive periods. Their stories offer useful perspectives and new undestandings on how organizations may cope with these powerful forces. Our continuing dialogues with business leaders, academics, and other experts add valuable insights to our knowledge base.
I hope that you will enjoy and benefit from this series. Please contact me if you have questions. We are always interested in exchanging insights and encourage you to join the conversation. In the meantime, I've included links to some of my previous posts on disruptions below.
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