In Search of The Third Tsunami

They warned us about this. Futurist Alvin Tofler predicted in his landmark book, The Third Wave about the coming of the Digital Revolution decades ago. Trust these systems thinkers – they know how to how to connect the dispersed, invisible dots, and link it to a line to a perceived future. From the Agricultural Age to Industrial Age, and now the Digital Age: from really using our ten digits to digitising information into compact and compressed, virtual versions.

My clients have asked me about ways to enhance strategic thinking, and thus, by extrapolation, strategic thinking in their organisation. How can they help develop strategic thinking and, thus, impact the bottom-line of their business?

My response (not answer) has been startling and a starting point. Why focus on one when we can engage thinking at all three levels? They are:

1) Tactical

2) Strategic

3) Systemic

Peter Senge wrote in his renowned thesis The Fifth Discipline: In Search of the Learning Organisation. One of the five platforms he discussed and described is Systems Thinking. My client asked me to explain systems thinking on my recent trip to Xian, PRC. I approached my explanation this way:

‘Tactical thinking is the putting out of fires, when these appear – firefighting. Strategic thinking is about preventing the occurrences of these fires. System thinking is about starting fires; some of which can stop other fires.’

I had to concede that although this was not the most eloquent way of explaining the Thinking Triad, it was useful to use the analogy of fire. Forest fires have been stopped by surrounding (siege) the wild bush fire with may smaller, controlled ones; these fires are set to clear a bald perimeter of earth. These fiery interventions destroy the inflammable forest around the raging fire, so that the fire has nothing to consume as it expands outwards. Thus, the saying goes: ‘To fight fire with fire.’ Chinese medicine has expounded on ‘combating a poison with a poison.’ Perhaps, it takes a thief to catch a thief?

A challenge for companies: Build frontline and top-of-the-line resources (processes and people) to gain on bottom-line (profitability). Develop top-of-mind brands and top-line thinking before going down on others (and blaming others).

Shortly, I will touch on the relevance of each of these thinking orientations in the organizational setting.