This document discusses the transition from Newtonian "push" organizations to quantum "pull" organizations in three parts: 1) It outlines how work is shifting from structured, routine tasks to unstructured knowledge work as automation increases. Knowledge workers thrive in ecosystems rather than assembly lines. 2) It argues that rigid "push" models which treat people as passive and make centralized decisions are being replaced by loosely coupled "pull" models which embrace exceptions, enhance productive friction, and allow initiative. 3) It recommends organizations understand the limits of Newtonian views, focus on sharing information, embrace complexity rather than over-simplifying jobs, empower people to respond to customers, and hire right-brained thinkers to make

1. Enabling Quantum
Organizations
as a new level of effectiveness
Keith D. Swenson
Vice President of R&D
Fujitsu America
1

2. New Social BPM book
Official Launch
June 8, 2011
Social Business Forum
Milan, Italy
Keith D. Swenson,
Nathaniel Palmer,
Sandy Kemsley,
Keith Harrison-Broninski,
Max Pucher,
Manoj Das,
et al.

3. We are standing on the crux of a change that
will affect every aspect of our working lives.
1990 2000 2010 2020
Mass p2p
& tribe oriented
communications

4. How will you take your organization through
this substantial change and benefit from it?
1990 2000 2010 2020
Dominated
by
<< Push >>
Organizations Dominated
by
>> Pull <<
Organizations

5. Our own conceptual limitations stand in the way
of capturing the full benefit of social business
1990 2000 2010 2020
Remain << Push Change to >> Pull
>> <<

6. The Root of the Conceptual Problem
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7. Isaac Newton
F = ma
Everything, it was
thought, could be
predicted if you
measure the initial
conditions
carefully enough.

9. We assume the system runs on simple
rules.

10. Chaos was believed to simply be complexity so great
that in practice scientists couldn’t track it, but they
were sure that in principle they might one day be able
to do so.
- Briggs & Peat (1989)

11. The Heisenberg Uncertainty
Principle:
Chaos can not banished through
perfectly precise measurement.

12. At subatomic level,
particles are constantly forming
and disappearing.
And yet….
structures at our level
remain remarkably
stable.
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13. Newtonian vs. Quantum
externally
limited precision
observable
smoothness turbulence
based on simple
relationship based
rules
predictability unpredictability

14. It was as if the ground had been pulled
out from under one, with no firm
foundation to be seen anywhere, upon
which one could have built. - Einstein

15. The Industrial Revolution:
… the Newtonian view in business.
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16. The Assembly
Line
Henry Ford
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17. Frederick Winslow Taylor
• Time and Motion Studies
• Mass production
techniques to office work
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18. Routine work is already
to a large extent,
being automated
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19. What does a
knowledge worker
look like?
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20. Maybe…
20

21. People who “figure out”
what they need to do.
(Few expect Knowledge
Workers to look like this)
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22. People who weigh
many
factors and determine
courses of action
22

23. People whose actions
are based on many
sources of information
23

24. People who gather clues
follow up, and discover things.
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25. People who set the rules
or think outside the box
25

26. People who face uncertain
situations
and courses that are not fixed
26

27. For Knowledge
Workers,
think not of a
machine,
but an ecosystem
27

28. Newtonian vs. Quantum
externally
limited precision
observable
smoothness turbulence
based on simple
relationship based
rules
predictability unpredictability

29. The Power Of Pull
“Pull platforms are emerging
as a response to growing
uncertainty.”
“They seek to expand the
opportunity for creativity by
local participants dealing
with immediate needs.”

30. << Push >> Models
treat public as passive consumers
make centralized decisions
top-down approach to planning
workers perform dictated activities

31. “The tight coupling of the
procedures in these programs
tends to make companies rigid and
inflexible.”
-Hagel et al.

32. >> Pull << Models
loosely coupled and modular
embrace exceptions not eliminate them
enhance the potential for productive
friction
continually expand choices available
help find the most relevant resources
allow initiative and creative opportunities

33. • Adaptive Case
Management
• Knowledge Workers
• Pull Model
• Get Things Done

34. Returning to
“Human 1.0”
34

35. Forget market
• engage tribes
segments
Forget company
• think human centricity
centricity
Forget information
• think knowledge networks
channels
Forget processes
• embrace social messiness
and hierarchies
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36. Roles mean nothing without
understanding the network of
relationships and the resources
that are required to support the
work of that person. – Margaret
Wheatley
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37. Important worker
qualities will be:
• High
Concept
• High Touch
-Daniel H. Pink

38. • Understand the limits of Newtonian view
– and Scientific Management
• Beware of over-simplifying the job
– Don’t just “pick a process”
• Focus on providing the right information
– Promote a culture of sharing
• Embrace complexity
– Don’t de-skill the workplace
• Empower people to respond to customers
– Decentralize, but monitor
• Hire/promote right-brained people
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39. Crossing the gap will require a new mindset
at all levels of your organization.
1990 2000 2010 2020
Dominated
by
<< Push >>
Organizations Dominated
by
>> Pull <<
Organizations
39