Aviv’s Blog
To Lead is to Transform
Adizes Insights
The theme of this Blog is “Thoughts for Times of Change.” Recently I spent a few hours reading and thinking about the recent Insights from the Adizes Institute. Ichak Adizes is a pioneer, one of the most important thinkers alive today. He is a “Change Doctor.” Ichak has been a teacher in 32 countries and is a consultant to top managers and heads of states throughout the world. For most of his life he has been building and refining the Adizes methodology.
I first met Ichak in the 2003 World Future Society conference. In a short 30 minute presentation entitled, Is our planet heading to Armageddon, he articulated a few of the building blocks of his thinking and methodology. Here are the bullet points I summarized in my notes:
- Change creates problems and opportunities.
- Change has been here from the beginning of time. Change is now accelerating.
- Everything is a system that is composed out of subsystems – a forest, a human, a family, an organization, a nation and planet Earth.
- Problems and opportunities are created because the subsystems of the greater system do not respond to change in synchronicity.
- As each subsystem responds in its own time, pace and direction, that lack of synchronicity creates gaps.
- Gaps in the system are what we experience as problems.
- Therefore, all problems are manifestations of disintegration caused by change.
- Every system’s change has a lifecycle. These lifecycles are predictable. Therefore, the problems that arise with them can be addressed proactively.
- To manage problems you have to make decisions and implement these decisions.
- Decision-making and implementation create conflict.
- Conflict can be destructive or constructive.
- To stop all conflicts one must first stop all change which is impossible.
- It is easier to drive straight into destructive conflict then to choose constructive conflict.
- Choosing the exit out of the destructive road toward a constructive road requires that you identify the exit and know how to take it.
- The constructive road begins with developing mutual trust and respect. Mutual trust and respect are more than soft words, they are principles that define and guide decision making and behavior.
What impressed me even more than what Ichak said was his depth of insight and the place from which he spoke. Ichak spoke from a place of intimate knowledge of the anatomy of organizational life. In my own work, I have developed a sixth sense for recognizing when people are speaking from a deep engagement with life itself. Ichak has unlocked a secret code, a map of organizations’ life cycle, their traps and remedies, and the principles of sustainable growth and development.
© Aviv Shahar
I agreed with you that this guy is very deep,i only come to know him last week(28/9/09) when i went for an interview with one of the representative associate,but i was disqualify because i guess i talked too much.Since then i tried to get more abt him but could’nt access to his blog or website or any of his insights.I want to learn from him as i see him not only a management guru but a philosopher,humanistarian,thelogian and etc etc all bundle into one.He is definately a holistic guy,an integral guy probably 0.01% of the USA population.
As for me I like ideas and i never stop reading a single day and i think alot,i am trying to find meaning in everythings as i believed that as we get older we shld develop our mind rather than our body,the great Buddha said that we are all here temporary,everythings are impermanence but our mind spirit will live on.I am not a Buddhist,but I read Buddhist books for 5 years and now outgrown the doctrine and move on to other things.When my friend said that he has a theory of everything meaning from the physical world,big and small and able to integrate them,from biology to physic and chemistry then came back and typed the sentence ‘Theory of everything’ in short TOE into the google search engine,i was really surprised that there are a whole lot of info’ abt TOE.From then on i get more interested and can’t stop search for more.This lead me to many subjects,from philosophy,psyscology,science and technology,religions,cosmology,meaning of life,consciousness,wisdom etc etc to search for the meaning of life and truths.I became very curious and keep on searching for meaning thro the net and i came to know Prof Tom Lombardo from USA (who is now my good friend),who incidently wrote few books abt future consciousness ( see his website http://www.centerforfutureconsciousness.com/ ) Pls take a look at the website .
Another site that i found interesting and learnt alot is http://meaningoflife.tv/ talking abt science and religions and the meaning of life in general.I work on Business Processes Management and had experiences in Corporate softwares i increasingly found that there is alot of coherences among the knowledges ,that i can get clarity and wisdom by learning horizonal disciplines of knowledge.i am very busybody.
Recently i bump into a blog written but a kid (he started 17 yrs old and now 21) called scott young ( http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/archives ),pls take a look.I really learnt alot from him and thro him i get to know many of his young friends,really fasinating.
hope you can keep in touch with me,thks
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PK, this is the post guru era. Think of gurus as gate keepers, then as gate openers and then as pathfinders and champions of possibilities and of the human technology. You follow another man’s teaching to become your own teacher. You discover the tools developed before you to become your own tool-maker.
First we are fascinated and kindled with the intuitive sense of the perfect nature of source. And then we project that sense of perfection upon the teacher that opened the door and offered us access to source. That’s the first trap. The second trap is that we project that sense of expected perfection upon ourselves.
This is an imperfect creation and unfinished one. Contemplate the mystery of prime numbers. And then contemplate the prime impulses of man. The spirit form is in the flesh to learn and to mature in the theater of an imperfect experience. This place we call Earth is a boot camp, a teaching ground, a theater of continual development and refinement. Blessings to you.