Book Review: Evolutionary Organizations: Operating System matters most!

The alternate approach to traditional bureaucratic, hierarchy driven, rules bound, centrally controlled organization is purpose driven, collective intelligence empowered, self-managing-teams based organizations. The central theme of this book is that the latter form of organizations, which it refers as Evolutionary Organizations, are more effective in delivering sustained results and better equipped to meet the challenges that are essentially complex in nature.

Several theories from time to time have emerged that espouse the importance of basing organizations working in Theory-Y assumptions, and also recognize the diminishing effectiveness of Fredrerick Taylorism in designing modern day workplace practices.

What makes this book a valuable addition to this ongoing mission to make organizations more purpose-driven, adaptive, transparent, engaging and with healthier workplace, is its structured evaluation of twelve dimensions that form the operating system of the organization. 

The Operating System canvas covers broad aspects like Purpose and Strategy to specifics like Meetings & information sharing within the organization- describing how each of these dimensions needs to be relooked at, supported by Thought Starters and alternate practices derived from Evolutionary Organizations. The key questions at the end of each dimension are intended to help self-diagnose own organization status and opportunity for redesign. The questions, however, could have been lot more provocative and challenging!

Given the pervasive role technology is playing in all aspects of organizations functioning, it would be good to consider technology as another dimension in the OS canvas. Evolutionary Organizations may be leveraging technology to liberate and empower nor to control and monitor workforce as against traditional organizations.

The expected emphasis on managing change well, is reflected in whole section being devoted to change – but does contain interesting additions to mostly programmatic and mechanical traditional approach to managing change using kotter model or its variants: The importance of prioritizing tensions (limiting to 7), proposing alternatives to address tensions, conducting experiments and scaling the successful ones.

Dignan underlines the importance of experiments in learning, which works well provided the purpose of experiments are made explicit and we do not associate the outcome of experiments with the effectiveness or smartness of the leader guiding the experiment, as often seen in traditional organizations. This is where leaders ability to promote enabling culture and provide psychological safety to teams play pivotal role.

Isolated adoption of practices from Evolutionary Organizations to traditional organizations seldom work- the change agenda needs to cover the whole OS canvas. Book is rich in resources, be it references to original works, list of evolutionary organizations and practical ideas using games that comes handy to any evangelist that would like to provoke his organization to take the evolutionary path, starting with relooking at the existing operating system.

Mr DIGNAN has done lot more than enough to stoke disenchantment among readers that our organisations are capable of more! And the NEW BRAVE WORK means progress over perfection and courage over caution.

Book Review: Market creating Innovations- a Must for Nations seeking prosperity, but not ENOUGH ?

Here is the key paradigm authors put forth as Nations' route to prosperity. Innovation directed at non-consuming population would spur socio-economic development, through multiplier effect as its impact span economic activities across several sectors including logistics, infrastructure and financial services. Further the infrastructure, both social and physical that gets created to serve the new set of economic activities is likely to be more sustainable as its upkeep would be better taken care of by the beneficiaries by paying directly for use or indirectly through taxes.

As strong advocate of Innovation and with vast body of work behind him in this field, Clayton along with his co-authors, has brought out role of innovation in spurring the overall development of the country in an emphatic manner, supported by good number of illustrative cases. However, innovation focusing on tapping non-consumption segment, as single dominant factor contributing to difference in prosperity levels between South Korea (who focused on market creating innovations) and Mexico (who focused on efficiency innovations) looks far-fetched.

Besides, not every innovation focused at non-consumption market is successful- take example of Nano, which was positioned at rural market two wheeler riders who cannot afford full-priced traditional car. Similarly, infrastructure directed at efficiency gains are as sustainable as those created to serve new markets or deliver to new customers (pull strategy). In fact most of the flyovers or bypass in cities are paid for by common commuters or funded by governments as it saves them travel time which may be used for any purpose, including using part of saved time for generating economic outcomes. China has traditionally created infrastructure first and then invited economic players than the other-way round!

Most of the examples talk about the entrepreneur who came up with product or service that targeted non-consumption segment, and then how it turned out to be a big success at a scale that created huge social and economic surplus for the society. While entrepreneurs may have their own motivation to grow and distinct approach to meeting with challenges en-route to scale (through multi-directional integration for example), national governments have role to play in cultivating entrepreneurs and minimizing impediments to their growth.

Hands-off approach by government in early stages of market creation may create monopolies or wrongful practices that would cost societies too dear later. At the same-time China hybrid approach of mixing of support and vigilance for the start-ups through often direct stake, is a delicate balance, with mixed outcomes. It is with respect to the role of Government in supporting prosperity process that needs greater clarity.

Book does a great job of providing guidelines on how to identify non-consumption markets and supports this with sample of such opportunities in Appendix that can make any entrepreneur or marketer think of possibilities that are normally not so obvious.

While book remind development practitioners and economists on the importance of supporting more market creating innovations, it would be great read for entrepreneurs and business strategists, struggling to identify opportunities that holds immense potential for growth, impact and prosperity for self, organizations and nations.

Demystifying Digital Transformation- A practitioner’s companion

Digital transformation is inevitable, for organisations who seek to remain relevant in the future. The objective of any digital transformation is to innovatively apply the technology stack to reinvent the organisation and the way in which it will engage with the customer to deliver value to them.

Given that each organisation has a unique DNA with distinctive aspirations, the digital journey need to be individually crafted with clear purpose, technology choices, and implementation specifics. Leaders will be called upon to take well-informed and deliberative decisions that have enormous implications and could very well define the future of the organisation.

I, along with Nishith Sharan, have suggested the necessary framework to assist leaders define their transformation agenda and execution specifics. We present an integrated approach, covering technological, strategic and organisational perspectives, while pointing out the decisions that need to be considered at various milestones during the digital transformation journey.

Demystifying Digital Transformation is an essential handbook for the industry leaders and transformation professionals as they embark on the digital transformation journey.

 The prime motivation to write this book is to bring certain rigor and sanity around this topic of digital transformation, so as to avoid lot of wasted efforts, resources and disappointment within organizations.


I wish this book serves the purpose in its usefulness to readers,

Happy to get the feedback, as always