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When people focus on a mission they believe is important and are guided by values they believe in, they put their hearts into making their work and company a success. Using the new science of Complexity and actual case histories, The Strategic Heart offers managers the keys to leading the high-performance and flexible organizations that create today's most successful companies.
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The Strategic Heart This page intentionally left blank The Strategic Heart Using the New Science to Lead Growing Organizations Michael H. Shenkman EGER Westport, Connecticut London The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Shenkman, Michael H. The strategic heart : using the new science to lead growing organizations / Michael H. Shenkman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56720-078-8 (alk. paper) 1. Organizational effectiveness. 2. Corporate culture. 3. Leadership. I. Title. HD58.9.S49 1996 658.4'012—dc20 96-587 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 1996 by Michael H. Shenkman All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-587 ISBN: 0-275-95620-2 (pbk.) First published in 1996 Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Printed in the United States of America @r The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). A hardcover edition of The Strategic Heart is available from Quorum Books, an imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (ISBN 1-56720-078-8). P In order to keep this title in print and available to the academic community, this edition was produced using digital reprint technology in a relatively short print run. This would not have been attainable using traditional methods. Although the cover has been changed from its original appearance, the text remains the same and all materials and methods used still conform to the highest book-making standards. Contents rigures Introduction vu ix I. Unleashing the Power of Your Organization 1 1. Complexity: A New Model of Organization 3 2. Values 19 3. Mission (I): Purpose and Commitment 33 4. Mission (II): Action and the Arrow of Value 49 5. Choice 65 II. Unleashing the Power of High Performance 79 6. Flow: From Work to Peak Performance 81 7. Engage 93 8. Responsibility (Not Jobs) 109 9. Envision 123 10. Aspire 139 11. Conclusion 157 Appendix: Conifer Group, Sample Organizational Documents Bibliography Index 171 175 177 This page intentionally left blank Figures 4.1 Conifer Group's Core Actions 51 4.2 Conifer Group Arrow of Value 53 4.3 7.1 10.1 10.2 Detail Arrow of Value Results-Producing Coach Producing Roles Organizational Roles 10.3 Strategic Roles 11.1 Driving Toward the Center of Influence A.l Conifer Group Complete Arrow of Value Chart: Detail of 4 'Integrate and Assemble Systems" A.2 Scheduler's Critical Success Factors 54 101 147 148 151 159 173 174 This page intentionally left blank Introduction Perhaps it is time the "work ethic" was redefined and its idea reclaimed from the banal men who invoke it. It is time for our species, it would seem to go on to other matters. Human matters. —Studs Terkel, Working* THREE FALLACIES What do bu