The Minding Organization

"To be minding is to recognize change as it is occurring."

"To thrive on the edge of chaos the organization must be transformed into an organism in which deliberate planning is augmented by emergent strategies for adapting to a future that arrives unannounced."

"It is the unrehearsed, unplanned, new movement, thought, perception, language, and emotion that is produced by human beings that is the act of creating."

"A minding organization must not only be cognizant of the perceptions within, but must also monitor the perceptions of its customers on an ongoing basis."

"There is more maturity displayed by positive attitude toward errors—our own and those of others—than by the arrogance of perfect knowledge."

"Going from chaos to order and from order to chaos, and then from chaos to order all over again, is a way of life, is a commitment to relentless improvement. It is a commitment to lifelong learning."

"Human ingenuity and inventiveness have no given limits, and our ability to tackle issues within organizations through balanced and flexible measures is a renewable resource."

"By working backward, we may find ourselves creating ways to do more with less, finding ways to work smarter rather than harder."

"The shared grand purpose of the organization, as articulated by the leadership, becomes the attractor that guides and gives meaning to the choices and actions at the local level throughout the organization."

"The need for continuous monitoring is predicated on the reality that a company can excel in a field and be successful in a particular environment and reality. As environments change, however, excellence may become obsolete."