1) The document discusses the need to transform entire organizations to achieve true agility, rather than making small changes, which are ineffective. 2) Real transformation takes months rather than years to shift from a mechanistic, centralized system to one that is decentralized, adaptive, and market-driven. 3) The key is to increase social density within the organization and "work the system", not coerce individuals, to bring about change through interventions rather than attempting transformation as a journey.

1. Comeleon Conference
Zagreb, 21 October 2021
@NielsPflaeging
betacodex.org redforty2.com
Work the System
Why true agility requires transformation
of entire organizations. Why meddling
with bits & pieces changes nothing.
Why real transformation
takes months – not years

2. Knowledge Age
Systemic, alive, market-driven
Functionally integrated, team-based
Work the work!
Outside-in, led, socially dense
With-each-other-for-each-other
Decentralized, complexity-robust
Pluralistic & synthetic
Industrial Age
Mechanistic, dead, steering
Functionally divided, individualizing
Work the people!
Top-down, managed
In parallel, in line
Centralized, efficiency-oriented, stability-seeking
Monolithic & myopic
top
bottom
outside
inside

3. top
bottom

4. inside
outside
market
periphery
center

5. Centralized, with steering
(”command-and-control“)
Decentralized, market-led
(“self-organized“, “agile“)

7. culture

8. What if that transformation
would take just 90 days?

9. Change
management
Change-
as-flipping

10. Insight No. 1
Change is not a fu@*ing journey.
Instead, it is constant flipping.

11. Today
Then
Now
New
Now
New
Now
New

13. Insight No. 2
There is no such thing as Resistance to Change -
only smart responses to dumb methods
The dumbest thing: trying to coerce people into self-organization

15. Insight No. 3
The problem is in the system -
almost always
That is why you must work the system. Not the people!

16. Now
New

17. as

18. accountable
aim
align(ment)
allocate
appraise
bonus
boss
break down
budget
business area
competence
convince
COO
department
direct
direct reports
drive
empower
engage
extra mile
force
forecast
front-line
goals
hard skills
head of
headcount
high performer
high potential
hit
incentivize
inspire
journey
key
key account
kick off
lead
leader
leverage
line
low performer
manage
maturity
milestones
mindset
mission
motivate
north star
operations/operational
oversight
plan
present
purpose
rank
roll out
sales
scale
soft skills
star
strategy/strategic
status quo
product mix
synergy
talent
vision
win
…

19. Insight No. 4
The challenge in increasing agility is to increase social density -
the choice of method is (almost) trivial
However: Most techniques, or methods, are just abominable

21. Insight No. 5
There is no such thing as transformation, really.
Instead, everything´s an intervention
We cannot “make change”. And we don´t have to: Change is nothing special!

22. Now
New
Now
New
Now
New

23. Comeleon Conference
Zagreb, 21 October 2021
@NielsPflaeging
betacodex.org redforty2.com
Work the System
Why true agility requires transformation
of entire organizations. Why meddling
with bits & pieces changes nothing.
Why real transformation
takes months – not years