It's time to reinvent management. You can help.

Experiment more often and more cheaply

“The next big opportunity never looks that way at the outset. Big opportunities grow out of successive rounds of experimentation.”

To evolve more rapidly, organizations must experiment more frequently. Management processes that seek to arrive at the “one best strategy” through top-down, analytical methods must give way to models based on the biological principles of variety (generate lots of options), selection (find low-cost ways to test critical assumptions), and retention (ramp up spending once a strategy has started to gain traction). In the future, top management won’t “make” strategy but will create an environment in which there is lots of fast-paced, strategic experimentation.

42 Stories
62 Hacks
5 Barriers

Experiment more often and more cheaply

“The next big opportunity never looks that way at the outset. Big opportunities grow out of successive rounds of experimentation.”

To evolve more rapidly, organizations must experiment more frequently. Management processes that seek to arrive at the “one best strategy” through top-down, analytical methods must give way to models based on the biological principles of variety (generate lots of options), selection (find low-cost ways to test critical assumptions), and retention (ramp up spending once a strategy has started to gain traction). In the future, top management won’t “make” strategy but will create an environment in which there is lots of fast-paced, strategic experimentation.

Filter By:
The process for resource allocation in too many organizations is highly centralized, creating a monopsony for new ideas within an organization, and favoring investment in projects that represent incre
Barrier by Gary Hamel on April 8, 2010
Real innovation is not built with greater isolation and introspection but is powered by smarter connections.
Hack by Andrew Armour on April 12, 2011
Whirlpool Corporation recently added the “bow” to the rock-solid and deeply embedded Double Diamond process which focuses on discovery and development of new opportunities in the front end.
Story by Moisés Noreña on August 7, 2011
The organisational mantra of up-or-out is, in fact, out. Organiations need to develop a new way of recognising performance, and increase the skill-to-position match.
Hack by Group 14 on November 6, 2011
Several years ago, Company X moved away from having part-time employees in their operations and customer support departments.
Story by Josh Harrington on September 19, 2010
Dell's marketing and communications organizations rely more and more on social media and community (SMaC), with some people blogging on internal or external sites, others developing community-focused
Hack by Bill Johnston on October 22, 2010
Innovation is more than a singular event that happens and then <POOF!> the organization has magically transformed.
Hack by Brett Belock on July 19, 2017

Pages