Loose: The Future of Business is Letting Go: How to Break the Rules of Business by Martin Thomas
Organisational delusion
Most organisations delude themselves that they are in control because they have surrounded themselves with rigid rules and procedures, micro-managers and planners dedicated to predictability and certainty. Most business schools inculcate a rational approach to business.
Loose
But according to Martin Thomas in Loose: The Future of Business is Letting Go: How to Break the Rules of Business, in the complex, non-linear world we live in, the challenge is how to embrace the chaos and ambiguity of modern life.
Avoid structure
The future is not rigid but loose – loose organisations, loose management styles and loose ways of working. Loose thinking is still at odds with all but the most progressive organizations, with many businesses paying lip service to customer collaboration while still exerting maximum control. Google is a glorious exception. They break the traditional rules of branding by changing their logo on a daily basis. A Google executive is quoted as saying: “The way to succeed in fast-paced, ambiguous situations is to avoid creating too much structure.” Eventually, says the author, more open ways of thinking and operating will pervade even the largest and most complex institutions. Companies will be forced to find new ways of engaging with customers.
The message
The message is stark: prevailing business wisdom needs to change. Change your terms of business, before they are changed for you.
