Cobus Oosthuizen PhD

Toxic assets of the human kind

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:34:35 +0000

When toxins enter a systems it creates all sorts of systemic problems that could even lead to system failure. Depending on the strength of the toxin, the effect could be immediate or slow decay over time. Often the initial effect is barely felt, but over time it becomes more acute as more elements in the system are infected, and grinds to a halt.

In any organisation human capital is the core asset, because it is people in organisations that set strategies and goals, design work systems, produce goods and services, monitor quality, allocate financial resources and market the products and services. Now, imagine the potential effect of “toxins” in this core asset. Over time it could have an adverse effect on productivity, quality, culture and climate in the organisation. “Toxic human capital,” as with any other toxic asset can only be considered as a risk hindering an organisation.

I define “toxic human capital” as a human carrier of a distorted ideology, -attitude, -values, -perception, -reality or -interpretation of the world that manifests in behaviour that instigates fear, conflict, dissonance, and tension in a social system.

E-overload: Temporary becomes permanent

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:41:27 +0000

Twenty-first century business executives, managers and professionals are under significant and constant pressure to deliver. Information and communication technology – particularly email – designed to supposedly enhance communication and efficiency is in reality having the opposite effect. One finds that people are overloaded with information which seductively leads to longer working hours in order to clear and respond to emails. Personally I find that the boundaries between my work- and home life have all but disappeared because of the unrelenting e-overload and expectations of rapid response.

I am acutely aware of the need to engage with my team and colleagues more closely, but so many competing ‘urgent’ demands upon my time and energy results in the tendency that this engagement is put on the backburner – remaining something to get around to. The question beckons: “Are we increasingly dominated by the myth of urgency, often to the point where the really fundamental and critical issues are simply ignored or put on hold indefinitely?” I tend to think that the dangerous myth is that the ‘put on hold’ is ‘only temporary’. I would argue that, too often, it turns out to be permanent…

Change starts with me

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:36:25 +0000

Be the change you want to see. Remaining on the sideline will achieve nothing, no matter how loud you shout. You have to get in the game; you’re either out or you’re in all the way. Remember: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

What is rubbing off on you?

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:42:10 +0000

Mix with the kind of people that inspire you. Thing is, if you spend enough time with a person, that person eventually “rubs off” on you. I remember a time with a certain company where young promising talent were deliberately put in contexts where they spent time with senior executives with the intent that “officialdom could rub off on them.” With whom do you keep company? Who do you mix with? What is rubbing off on you? Remember, as iron tempers iron, so one man shapes another.

Hang in there!

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:01:08 +0000

Remember, it’s always too soon to quit. You and I will make mistakes today. We’ll make errors in personal judgement and mistakes in administration. But we do ourselves no favours if we judge ourselves on the performance of the last several hours. Instead, we need to ask what is our track record? What kind of progress have we made during the past six months – the past year? Are we closer to our goal? Have we gained new insights into ourselves as a result or our work?

Solo out… Teams in

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:23:07 +0000

As society becomes more complex and we continue to make major advances in our technological capability, more and more of the organisational life revolves around a team or group structure. The information age guarantees that an individual cannot expect to have all the facts necessary to make many decisions. As such, working in teams is rapidly becoming the preferred practice in many organisations as traditional models make way for flat, multi-skilled working methods, and every indication points toward the increased importance of teams in the future.

Innovative behaviour not limited to start-ups

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:27:33 +0000

There is no suggestion that innovative behaviour is limited to people who are devoted to creating businesses from scratch. An entrepreneur, by definition, is innovative, a change agent who “creatively destroys” the status quo in a quest for new and better ways to satisfy consumers and create value. Although it is true that an entrepreneurial personality is needed to start a business, this kind of behaviour is also essential in an established company that is fighting to keep its competitive edge. Bill Gates would be in big trouble if he were the only entrepreneur working at Microsoft today.

Quickening innovation

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:52:55 +0000

Encourage and foster innovation and creativity throughout the organisation. Doing something different requires the need for innovation within an organisation. To help foster innovation, an organisation must ensure that risks are allowed and that employees who take them with the goal of improving organisational success are not blamed if they don’t work out. Strike a balance between accountability on the one hand and risk on the other. Ensure that staff have an opportunity for development and to make their contribution.

The Customer Connection: The Global Innovation 1000

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:02:31 +0000

Booz Allen Hamilton’s annual study of the world’s largest corporate R&D spenders finds two primary success factors: (1) aligning the innovation model to corporate strategy; (2)listening to customers every step of the way.

To read the full Resilience Report: http://www.strategy-business.com/resilience/rr00053

Resilience Report is a monthly update on business complexity and strategy-based transformation. An exclusive service for readers of strategy+business, it offers original research, case studies, and other intellectual capital from strategy+business and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Staying ahead of the pack

Cobus Oosthuizen PhD — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:58:39 +0000

When the successes and failures of companies are examined, it is clear that achievement over the long-term depends on the ability to innovate, and take the leadership role in the industry. Entrepreneurial companies reinvent themselves, and leap ahead of their competitors, and those who can sustain a culture of innovation and change keep on developing and growing.