Essays on Beta, Vol. 1

Why can we not learn a damn thing from the likes of Semco, or Toyota? Why are today¿s companies out of balance, structure-wise? Why are "flat hierarchies" just a continuation of the problem? Why are all "change-as-a-journey" metaphors wrong? Why does your company have precisely the culture it deserves? Why are fixed targets overrated - and how can targets be made relevant? Does competition within organizations work? Why do we still find it hard to grasp McGregor's insight from 1960? Why and how does Very Fast Organizational Transformation (VFOT) work? Why do companies need neither bosses, nor leaders? Why is the distinction between management and leadership important? Why is the so-called "digital transformation" over-hyped? This exciting little book combines 20 essays by Niels Pflaeging into a true "Best of Beta." It is a collection of progressive, modernist organizational theory and practice based on the BetaCodex mind-set. The contents of this volume range from short vignettes to highly conceptual texts. This book is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to master the art of Beta thinking! Niels Pflaeging is an advisor for organizational transformation, an entrepreneur, an international keynote speaker. Since 2003, he has helped managers and companies of all kinds master profound change. Niels Pflaeging was a director with the Beyond Budgeting Round Table think tank. He then went on to found the open source community BetaCodex Network. Niels is the author of numerous books, including the best-seller Organize for Complexity and the OpenSpace Beta handbook. Together with Silke Hermann, Niels founded Red42, a startup on the cutting edge of Learning & Development and organizational development.