Goals served up in a fractal manner.
The Ultimate Guide to OKR (2026)
Master OKRs in 15 mins. What is OKR? Where does it come from? How do you implement, scale, and write OKRs? Real examples, Best practices, and Pitfalls to avoid.
Team Objectives – Overview | Silicon Valley Product Group
After many years of being a very vocal advocate for the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) technique, in the majority of companies I meet, I have stopped recommending the practice. That’s because, in so many companies, even though conceptually the technique is simple and sound, it ends up proving a waste of time and effort,...
I’ve never had a goal
I can’t remember having a goal. An actual goal. There are things I’ve wanted to do, but if I didn’t do them I’d be fine with that too. There are targets that would have been nice to hit, but if I d…
The Fractal Organization
The world of management is in crisis - the old remedies no longer work and organizations are failing at an increasing rate. Although many talk of 'joined up thinking', few offer practical guidance on how to achieve this in organizations. <b><i>The Fractal Organization</i></b> sets down the practical implications of a well tested systemic approach to building organizations that are capable of surviving and flourishing in these turbulent times. <p>"An excellent read…Many organizations fail at the mercy of their own ignorance. The author has done an excellent job in making ‘the science of effective organization’ accessible to management, providing them with a new knowledge to deal with the uncertainties that the markets place upon them."<br /><b>Stephen J. Brewis, Business Architect, British Telecom</b></p> <p>"...one of the most interesting, thorough and rigorous guides to management that I have ever read, … introduces new insights in every chapter… carries a credibility which acts as a counterbalance to the sometimes difficult message which he conveys which is that a lot of mainstream management practice is at best ineffective and at worst downright destructive. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in management or systems thinking."<br /><b>Penny Marrington</b>, <b>Course Chair, Systems Group, Open University</b></p> <p>"In my opinion this book manages to present sound academic theory that is relevant and helpful to the practitioner in the business. I experienced several A-HA moments."<br /><b>Pauline Marsh, Strategy Director, CS&S International, BAE SYSTEMS</b></p> <p>"The insights of the Viable System Model have been open only to a select few for much too long. Hoverstadt has gone furthest in bringing these ideas to a wider audience…Management books have too often been serious but not practical, or practical but not serious. This book is both brilliantly serious and practical, and often entertaining too."<br /><b>Professor Peter Kawalak, Manchester Business School</b></p> <p>"Integrates mainstream management ideas with the systems ideas underpinning the VSM, and flows and reads well. As a starting point for developing understanding of the VSM in today's world this book improves greatly on all books that have gone before, I would certainly recommend it to colleagues, clients, and students."<br /><b>Dr. Robin Asby, Course Chair, Communication and Systems, Open University</b></p>
Asian Games offer 'deepest apologies' for South Korea anthem blunder
The Asian Games organisers played the North Korean national anthem as South Korea’s hockey team lined up to face Bangladesh.
Input goals and output goals
The other week someone introduced me to the idea of “input goals” and “output goals”, by Oz Chen. Oz writes about “personal development and content strategy”, so…
The Fractal Organisation Manual: How to diagnose & design organisations using the Viable System Model
In a world of increasing turbulence, the need has never been greater for knowing how to build systems capable of maintaining their viability when all around them is change. This is a follow up to the Fractal Organization published by Wiley almost twenty years ago. It provides practical guidance ...
The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game
A philosophy of games to help us win back control over …
A Philosophical Game: An Interview with Saul Steinberg by Lauren Kane
November 4, 2021 – Steinberg and George Plimpton discuss how the form of sports reflects on nationhood.
How a comedy of errors ‘ruined everything’ for athletes at the Asian Games
Athletes transported to the wrong venues, three matches in 18 hours and an accommodation crisis add to organisers' woes.
Introducing DAVIES: A framework for Identifying Talent Across the Globe — American Soccer Analysis
In the world of sports, the search for an all-encompassing player evaluation metric is never-ending. Baseball was the first to develop its metric with Wins Above Replacement. Basketball followed suit with Player Efficiency Rating, and Hockey WAR has come into the fold within the past year. The US So
'Failing, chaotic, musical chairs': Teams slam Asian Games organisers
Several teams rounded on the organisation of the Asian Games in Japan on Thursday, with Thailand likening it to a "chaotic" game of "musical chairs" and South Korea saying...
In Pictures: Mayo win All-Ireland title
View a selection of images from the All-Ireland Football Championship final as Mayo enjoyed arguably their greatest ever day.
