Truck sales are on a roll…. US sales of light trucks stormed ahead 24% in January, to 416,828 vehicles, easily outpacing a 7.8% rise…

In order to facilitate and accelerate learning, we need to design opportunities for making mistakes. While organizations have many fail-safe systems to ensure smooth…

Reinforcing processes, which we covered in last month’s issue, are only one of the building blocks of complex systems. While the snowballing effect of…

Our brains are pattern-making systems — they organize our perceptions of the world into patterns that enable us to function effectively. For example, when…

Jorge Valchez is an organizational development consultant at International Chocolate, Inc., a (fictional) confectionery company. A few years ago, he picked up a copy…

Effectively managing and benefiting from diversity poses a significant challenge to our organizations. Regardless of a person’s race, gender, or sexual orientation, they do…

Feedback loops can be thought of as closed loops of interconnection; basically, sequences of mutual causes and effects. The links between each variable show…

Introducing learning organization principles to a company is difficult and fraught with uncertainty. How do you lead without taking the reins? How do you…

Big Machines, an equipment manufacturer, decides to form a strategic alliance with Special Parts, Inc., a custom-designed components supplier. The partnership goes well until…

Your daughter was sick last night and you didn’t get much sleep. Tony’s car was rear-ended on the way to the office. Vivian has…