Just as Wheatley argues that managers must rethink the universe, Stan Davis, author of the 10th anniversary edition of Future Perfect , says managers must rethink time, space and mass to gain a competitive advantage for their organizations. Instead of defining time from the perspective of the producer, Davis suggests viewing time from the perspective of the consumer. Consumers want products delivered at their convenience, not the producer's convenience. Since its original publication in 1987, both the public and private sectors have worked hard to reduce transaction times and speed the delivery of products to customers. Just as time has shifted to the convenience of customers, place has also shifted.
Customers can now shop from home by phone, television or the computer.
Many managers might find themselves wishing the good old days of predictability, command and control and hierarchy, but they must now think differently. They must learn to embrace a world of paradox and absurdity. Contributing editor Mark A. Abramson is chairman of Leadership Inc. and a member of the faculty, Department of Public Administration, George Mason University. How High-Performance Companies Manage Chaos, Complexity, and Contradiction to Achieve Superior Results. Leadership Skills for a New Age.