Comments on: Asking Questions http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/2009/06/asking-questions/ The smart way to smart working Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:12:08 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: A Change Is Gonna Come? | The Smart Work Company http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/2009/06/asking-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1409 A Change Is Gonna Come? | The Smart Work Company Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:57:19 +0000 http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/?p=1581#comment-1409 [...] of rigidity and a clear example of what can happens to the mightiest of companies. As I said in my last post: “Decline is associated with inability to sense and respond to changes in the external [...] [...] of rigidity and a clear example of what can happens to the mightiest of companies. As I said in my last post: “Decline is associated with inability to sense and respond to changes in the external [...]

]]> By: Anne Marie http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/2009/06/asking-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1349 Anne Marie Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:15:49 +0000 http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/?p=1581#comment-1349 Yep - sounds like asking questions to me. This is why Peters has a problem with Drucker: "Who was I pissed off at? At Drucker for one. Today, everybody acts as if Peter Drucker has always been one of those who gets it. Go back and read Concept of the Organisation ... he's more German than German when it comes to hierarchy and command and control, top-down operation" Stefan Stern in the FT yesterday (http://blogs.ft.com/management/2009/06/01/gm-drucker-and-the-role-of-the-guru/) said: "Can’t let today go by without making a short comment about the decline of General Motors. This was one of the organisations that Peter Drucker knew best. He based his 1946 book Concept of the Corporation on what he had learned there." 1946! Different times, different context. Command and control doesn't sound like the Drucker I am familiar with. As I was saying yesterday, beware uncritical consumption of guru prescriptions and the passing of time. I would love to know what Peters now has to say about sticking to the knitting (this of course what allows Christensen's disruptive innovators to emerge). Yep – sounds like asking questions to me.

This is why Peters has a problem with Drucker:

“Who was I pissed off at? At Drucker for one. Today, everybody acts as if Peter Drucker has always been one of those who gets it. Go back and read Concept of the Organisation … he’s more German than German when it comes to hierarchy and command and control, top-down operation”

Stefan Stern in the FT yesterday (http://blogs.ft.com/management/2009/06/01/gm-drucker-and-the-role-of-the-guru/) said:

“Can’t let today go by without making a short comment about the decline of General Motors. This was one of the organisations that Peter Drucker knew best. He based his 1946 book Concept of the Corporation on what he had learned there.”

1946! Different times, different context. Command and control doesn’t sound like the Drucker I am familiar with. As I was saying yesterday, beware uncritical consumption of guru prescriptions and the passing of time. I would love to know what Peters now has to say about sticking to the knitting (this of course what allows Christensen’s disruptive innovators to emerge).

]]> By: Jon H. http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/2009/06/asking-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1329 Jon H. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:53:42 +0000 http://www.thesmartworkcompany.com/?p=1581#comment-1329 I have been a long-term fan of Drucker's HBR article titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Business-Peter-F-Drucker/dp/B00005RZ4T" rel="nofollow">"The Theory of the Business"</a>, in which he argues that what a company is knitting, and the way(s) it is knitting whatever it is, needs to be re-examined on a regular basis to determine if what they set out to knit / are knitting is still relevant to markets and to profitability. As I understand it, it's about asking questions ;-) I have been a long-term fan of Drucker’s HBR article titled “The Theory of the Business”, in which he argues that what a company is knitting, and the way(s) it is knitting whatever it is, needs to be re-examined on a regular basis to determine if what they set out to knit / are knitting is still relevant to markets and to profitability.

As I understand it, it’s about asking questions ;-)

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