The Nature of Business Transformation: A Swarm Intelligent Approach to Reinventing Organisations

Length: 272 pages
Edition: 1
Language: English
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: 2022-02-25
ISBN-10: 1032104988
ISBN-13: 9781032104980
Sales Rank: #0 (See Top 100 Books)

This book is a practical guide for business professionals to develop and improve business intelligence and collective decision making within their organisation. It proposes a progressive reconfiguration of the traditional business operating system using a nature-inspired framework called swarm facilitation that enables and facilitates collective decision-making.

Problem solving and decision making within organisations has followed the same rigid formula for over 100 years. It is dominated by centralised governance and pyramid decision making. Such an approach is no longer fit for purpose in an environment of employee disengagement, AI/superintelligence and Covid-19 fallout. By the end of this book, readers will be able to:

solve organisational problems and challenges collectively using swarm intelligence;
upgrade and futureproof business operating systems to reflect a more collective decision-making approach fit for the new connected economy and Industry 4.0;
embrace mindset quotients that support people working in a more networked, self-organising and collective environment.

The book is important reading for leaders and managers who are focused on building organisational capital and engagement and gaining value from the emerging technology by evolving their business operating system into a digital ecosystem as part of an ongoing digital transformation strategy. It will also appeal to experts working in the field of organisational change and development, both within the organisation and as consultants.

Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Illustrations
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Preface
Introduction Small Steps and Giant Leaps
Walk the Talk
Focus On the System Not Personalities
Make Sure Everything Is Wired Together
Be Led By Intelligence
Notes
Part 1 Theory
1 Business Transformation: From the Old Boss to the New BOS
Business Operating System 1.0
Four Factors That Reinforce the Classic Business Operating System
1. Culture and Conditioning Structures
2. Alpha Leaders Are Venerated in Most Organisations
3. The Industry Is Still Influenced By Classical Management Legacies
4. It Is Reinforced Through Leadership Development Programmes
Towards a New Business Operating System (BOS 2.0)
Six Core Properties of BOS 2.0
1. Complex Adaptive System (CAS)
2. Emergence
3. Self-Organising
4. Collective Intelligence (CI)
5. Interconnectivity
6. Simple Rules
Why Now?
1. The Rise of Industry 4.0 and the Smart Economy
2. A New Generation of Workers Who Want to Work in a More Engaging Workplace
3. The Growth of Social Media That Exposes this Problem
4. Coronavirus Pandemic
Notes
Bibliography
2 How Honeybees Can Help Us Reinvent Organisations
‘Birds Do It, Bees Do It, Even Educated Fleas Do It’
Ants
Birds and Fish
Honeybees
Business Transformation and Relocating Honeybees
Swarm Transformation
Swarm Facilitation
1. Prepare
2. Cluster
3. Sensemake
4. Act
5. Regenerate
Business Superorganisms
Notes
Bibliography
3 Human Waggle Dancing in the Age of Intelligence Amplification
Uniqueness and Limitations of Mental Processes
Three Human Mental Qualities
1. Creativity
2. Intuition
3. Natural Sensemaking
The Limitations of Mental Processing
1. The Executive Function of Our Human Brain Has Limited Working Memory Capacity
2. We Make Snap Decisions That Are Plaintively Wrong
3. We Exercise Cognitive Bias
4. We Overanalyse and Overthink Things and this Can Lead to Mistakes
5. We Fail to See the Obvious
6. Our Brains Decay
7. Emotions Can Get in the Way
Group Processing Was Seen as a Fix to Individual Mental Processing But Brings More Problems
Towards Augmented Intelligence
Background
Early AI
The Progress of AI
1. Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)
2. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
3. Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)
Machine Intelligence and Deep Learning
Where Is AI?
Current AI Application in Autonomous Decision Systems and Decision Augmentation
Augmented Intelligence and the Workplace
Augmented Intelligence and the Future of the Workplace

1. Internet of Things (IoT) and Embedded Tech
2. Crowdsourcing Platforms
3. Decision Intelligence and Decision Augmentation
4. Collaborative Tools
5. Data and Advanced Analytics

1. Spatial Web and Immersive Technology
2. Intelligent Automation
3. Empathetic AI and Brain-Computer Interface
Notes
Bibliography
Part 2 Application
4 Swarm Transformation: Three Levers That Enable the Business to Swarm
Lever 1: System Transformation
Organisational Transformation
Honeycomb Organisational Structure
1. Swarm 1.0
2. Swarm 2.0
3. Swarm 3.0
Some Key Properties of a Honeycomb Organisational Structure
1. It Is Protean
2. It Is Connectivist
3. It Is Wirearchical
4. It Is Intelligence-Led
5. It Is Deformalised
6. It Is Generative
Digital Transformation
1. It Is More Than Just a Systems Upgrade
2. A Good Digital Transformation Strategy Mitigates Disruption That Can Come About When Introducing New Technology and Innovation in the Workplace
3. It Is a Long-Term Strategy and Needs a Vision
4. Key to Digital Transformation Success Is to Recruit the Right People
Behavioural Transformation
Raising Adaptive Quotient (AQ)
Building Collaborative Quotient (CQ)
Building Digital Quotient (DQ)
Learning Intervention
Lever 2: Organisational Change and Development
Planned Change Effort
Emergent Change Effort
Hybrid Change Model
Lever 3: Swarm Facilitation Based On the Swarm Flow Model
General Principles, Benefits, and Pitfalls of Swarm Facilitation
Notes
Bibliography
5 Swarm 1.0: Developing a Local Human Swarm Strategy
Swarm 1.0: Lever 1: System Transformation
Organisational Transformation 1.0
Influencers
Influencer: the Business Process Owner
Influencer: the Beekeeper
Enablers
Enabler: the Business Intelligence Network (BIN)
Enabler: Swarm Cluster
Enabler: Swarm Teams
Connectors
Connector: the Swarm Rep
Connector: Swarm Ambassadors
Digital Transformation 1.0
Behavioural Transformation 1.0
Swarm Community Pre-Swarm Development
Influencer: Pre-Swarm Development for Business Process Owner
Enabler: Pre-Swarm Development for the Business Intelligence Network
Connector: Pre-Swarm Development for Swarm Reps
Swarm Community In-Swarm Development
Enabler: In-Swarm Development for Swarm Cluster
Adaptive Quotient (AQ)
Collaborative Quotient (CQ)
Lever 2: Organisational Change and Development Approach
Lever 3: Swarm Facilitation
Prepare
Prepare Stage: Selection
Prepare Stage: Budgeting
Cluster
Sensemake
Participatory Methods in Swarm 1.0 Sensemaking
Speed Dating
Dotmocracy
SWOT Analysis
World Café/knowledge Café
Six Thinking Hats
Act
Regenerate
A Comparison of Swarm Facilitation With Other Mainstream Participatory Approaches
Future Workshops (FW) and Future Search
Open Space Technology (OST)
Agile Software Development/Scrum
Hackathon
Charette
Holacracy
Notes
Bibliography
6 Swarm 2.0: Developing an Augmented Workplace Swarm Strategy
Swarm 2.0: Lever 1: System Transformation
Organisational Transformation 2.0
Influencers: the Swarm Mentor Leader (SML)
Enabler: Business Intelligence
Enabler: Business Process Owner
Enabler: Shareholders
Enabler: Swarm Cluster
Enabler: Swarm Teams
Digital Transformation 2.0
1. Recruit Data Scientists and Create Digital Leadership Roles
2. Create a Digital Transformation Strategy
3. Procurement
4. Digitisation
5. Integration
Behavioural Transformation 2.0
Adaptive Quotient in Swarm 2.0
Collaborative Quotient in Swarm 2.0
Digital Quotient in Swarm 2.0
Directed Intervention: Formal Global Swarm Learning Programmes
Directed Intervention: Intact Team Development
Directed Intervention: Culture Camp Events and Cultural Boot Camps
Directed Intervention: Bite-Sized Learning
Directed Intervention: Immersive Training
Self-directed Interventions
Self-directed Intervention: Swarm Learning and Resource Portal
Self-directed Intervention: Self-Directed Learning
Self-directed Intervention: Observation
Lever 2: Organisational Change and Development
Lever 3: Swarm Facilitation
Prepare
Two Practical Considerations in Swarm 2.0 Preparation
Swarm Meets
Budget and Resourcing
Cluster
Sensemake
Online Collaboration Tools
Transcription Software
IoT/Smart Meeting Rooms
Interactive Touch Screens, Digitables, and Digital Whiteboards
Wearable Technologies
Act
Regeneration
Notes
Bibliography
7 Swarm 3.0: Towards a Business Superorganism
Swarm 3.0: Lever 1: System Transformation
Organisational Transformation 3.0
Rethinking Governance, Leadership, and Management
Rethinking Resourcing
Deformalisation
Digital Transformation 3.0
Human Digitisation
Wireacracy and Digital Facilitation
Tech Developments, Digitalisation, and Human/machine Collaboration
Behavioural Transformation 3.0
Embrace Emerging Technology to Support Learning and Development
Building a Cross-Boundary Swarm Learning Enterprise
Influence the Broader Traditional Education Sector
Lever 2: Organisational Change
Do an Organisational Pulse Check
Develop an Acceleration Strategy
Preparing for the Journey
Base Camp
Camp
Camp
Camp
Reaching the Summit
Lever 3: Swarm Facilitation
Prepare
Cluster
Sensemake
Act
Regenerate
Notes
Bibliography
Conclusion: Swarm Transformation at a Glance
Overview
Stage 1: Transition to Swarm 1.0 (Six Months)
1. Influencer to Research Into Swarm Theory and Identify and Recruit Trusted Advisors
2. Influencer to Identify Suitable Programme
3. Influencer to Set a Budget
4. Influencer to Form the Business Intelligence Network
Stage 2: Swarm 1.0 Timespan
Stage 3: Transition to Swarm 2.0
1. Knowledge Sharing From Business Process Owners
2. Senior Leadership Involvement for Swarm 2.0 Planning
3. Swarm 2.0 Budget and Resourcing
4. Digital, Learning, and OD Strategy
5. Smart Technology Procurement
6. Developing L&D Programmes and the Learning and Resource Portal
Stage 4: Swarm 2.0 Time Span
Stage 5: Transition to Swarm 3.0
1. Organisational Pulse Check
2. Develop Swarm 3.0 Acceleration Strategy (From Base Camp to Summit)
3. Accelerate!
Final Thoughts
Notes
Bibliography
Index