insights

A Weblog (in its simplest form) is a chronological journal available on the web, updated when the person maintaining it comes across something new or interesting.

The Insights Weblog is part of the next generation of ‘blogs’, where those working in emergent areas link into virtual communities of practice - finding a nexus place to connect up observations found around the web on a specific topic. It was one of the things the web was designed for.

Our Insights blog connects the Leaders in Excellence Network. This Network is made up of people interested in sustainable growth management - working in and around the themes of business management, strategy, leadership development and innovation in organisations.

If you want to be part of the community that Insights goes to - and you are already on our list- you do not need to do anything. You will get a short e-mail when there is a new post. It will have a link to the Insights weblog. You can view it, comment on it or ignore it. It will be there for review whenever. Passive or active - the choice is yours.

What will unfold are the keys to sustainable growth management - something you cannot find collected anywhere else.

If not on the list, and you want to know what happens next in your organisation - subscribe.

If you are on our list and have no interest in this (or have too much to worry about already) please unsubscribe.

(more on blogs from technorati)

“The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything… or nothing.” - Lady Nancy Astor

Sustainable Excellence is “insights” name for when organisations have survived the first three tests:

1. Can they create a sustainable business model?
2. Will they be able to respond to their environment?
3. Can they find a way to anticipate the leadership stretch?

If they do this ~ then there is a chance the organisation can become a learning organisation and move towards sustainability (in every sense of the word).

And as they do this, will they be able to then respond to what is required of a sustainable organisation in a world where “big” paradigms are shifting?

Sustainable Excellence is actually what FCG is all about. Continued existence depends on our collective effort in moving towards a change. Organisations that lead this will be the survivors.

Will the list of survivors include your organisation?

An interesting question ~ because if your organisation is one of those that does something worthwhile and important, it will be a question that ultimately affects us all.

So let’s go find the answer - shall we?

Leadership Excellence is “insights” name for finding out who in an organisation is going to be there to lead when the organisation needs them most.

When an organisation’s efforts create new growth the organisation expands. From a holistic leadership and management perspective, growth is not two dimensional (like a line of a revenue chart) but more like an expanding balloon.

While the rest of the world profits and complains from high executive and staff turnover, or instead are busy searching to find leadership from within, others confidently know who will be their new leaders.

Will every organisation eventually suffer a crisis of leadership? Leadership Excellence is where that question is answered.

Leadership Excellence is also FCG’s way of being able to know who are tomorrows leaders and “whether they will be ready when the organisation is there?”

Interesting questions ~ but what is surprising is how many find themselves too busy and stretched to be able to work out the answer before time?

Strategic Excellence is “insights” name for that process where good organisations that have everything going for them begin to look to their external environment.

When organisations get to this point, they have to think about things in a new way. They need to move from being inward looking to having an outward view. They can either understand the new landscape and adapt, or do what they have always done.

Strategic Excellence is also FCG’s way of structuring the way of thinking about strategy that is accessible and meaningful, matching ways of ‘knowing’ to the new ways of ‘being’ that are required. Having an approach founded in integral strategy helps us in this role.

“Will the organisation anticipate and respond to a changing world - or will it die?” Strategic Excellence is where that question is answered.

A vital question ~ but what is interesting is why many cannot find a way to a satisfactory answer in time!

Business Excellence is “insights” name for that set of dynamics that determine whether a business grows or will begin to consume more energy than it produces and reach a natural plateau (and then decline).

When organisations get to that point, they will either have the energy to keep going, or the effort of just keeping up will eventually mean they cannot survive. Business Excellence is where this turning point is decided.

Business Excellence is FCG’s way of modelling those dynamics and being able to know “Will the organisation succeed or has it reached its in-built limit to growth?”

An interesting question ~ but what is more interesting is how many people do not know that there even are these in-built limits to growth!

FCG is Forsyth Consulting Group. FCG was formed with the purpose of sharing and integrating insights into sustainable growth.

Its reason for being is a vision that ‘all individuals and organisations find long term success and meaning in their work’.

People put so much passion and energy into what they do. The power of organisations where people come together in collective endeavour is where a real strength lies. When organisations with a real sense of purpose fail, so does human hope.

So why do organisations stop and decline and die? You would think we would have worked this out by now.

FCG was formed in 1999 to answer that question for the benefit of all (and has been doing so consistently since then). We do this by doing things a little differently.

Here is where we will share what we have learned and are learning day by day.

Why the rubic logo ? - it explains that here is where the fragments come together as an integrated whole - one by one in all their colours. All you have to do is wait and watch.

Insights is the weblog of William Varey and FCG.

Insights was originally formed in 2001 as an e-newsletter to share interesting observations on what stops the sustainable growth of worthwhile organisations.

It discussed business dynamics, leadership, strategic thinking and, importantly, organisational learning. With the birth of the “insights” weblog, things have moved up a notch.

Here will be collected the essence of the truths about sustainable growth as we enter a world where:

“Life is Change. Growth is optional”.

The purpose of “insights” is to help you choose wisely.

I just love people who said it better and said it first…. saves so much time.

Wisdom Quotes

and the ultimate …… “A few words placed between quotation marks are not always life altering.” - Anon