Thursday, January 19

Our changing world



From the Editor's keyboard.
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One of the advantages of writing forecasts for a new year a few weeks after it's start,is that the odds on accuracy are improved, all be it marginally.

Economists and political writers have predicted that the world economy will slow down, perhaps sharply - oil will be dearer as will house prices with doom and gloom around every corner.
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I confidently make three forecasts for AD 2006.

Firstly, this year will see the return, in the corporate world, of the good old fashioned middle manager who was culled as a result of the 'Delayering' fad in the '90s. With New-Middle Manager comes a super new fad - 'Granularity' which will be King (well for this year anyway).

In the corporate world managers will not discuss detail, they will however throw around with casual ease the buzz word of the year 'granularity'. A word that is usually applied to sugar has been in use for some time in the IT industries, it is now being applied to the size of components - the smaller the parts the greater the granularity and therefore the greater the flexibility of the whole. Oh yes indeed - this concept will be seized upon by managers and applied to all aspects of their business with inspired executive enthusiasm. Mark my words, there will be seminars, focus conferences and the like devoted to this new tool. Granularity will be in - granularity will be good.

Granularity will have implications on all of the business world - both large and small. It will be the small picture that counts, the charismatic strategic leader will be out of a job. In 2006 we will hear much less about leadership more about relayering. Which will of course make organisations more efficient, more responsive, more local and yes more granular. To achieve all this the middle manager will once again be need.

The management fashions that over use (and often misuse) those dreadful terms: re-engineering, benchmarking, total quality management will be replace by a derivative of granularity, 'quantifiable measurement'. This new fad will be a scientific method or measuring knowledge. It will, of course, be very complicated, dependent upon consultants for its integration into businesses and the ever growing government sponsored 'partnerships'.Business orientated people in 2006 will be encouraged to employ 'quality measurement and quantifying systems' and the inevitable qualification in the 'discipline' will become a life goal for aspiring young consultants.

My second prediction is the growth of the use of the bicycle, in 2006 . New sleek black panniers will be all the rage following a trend started by the City of London Rozzers (Police). Oh yes indeed, mark my words - businesspeople, managers and workers across all social-economic groups (whatever that means) will arrive at their work places in cycling shorts having ridden on a very expensive sleek over-engineered machine - the latest (and ultimate) granular machine.

As for my third prediction. I can state that with every confidence that my personal new year's revolution, as a confirmed and proud dyslexic, is to achieve the objective of being even more mindful a quote from JFK: ''no one man can change the world, but every one should try''.

Onward forward and upward.

PT

PS A Short term forecast: to be posted on this blog in the next few days. ''Who understands who Governs Britain ?'' and ''Politics in Britain after the EU.'' Two salient pieces examining the political future of the UK ignoring the petty drivel reported in the 'dead trees'.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well why can't women try and change the world as well. They are not all cleaning behind the fridge you know !