Many management fixes fail due to a lack of understanding about the nature of complex adaptive systems. These systems are networks of interactions where the behaviour of the whole cannot be predicted from the behaviour of the parts. In the context of an organisation, this means that changes to one part of the system can lead to unexpected results elsewhere.
Traditional management fixes often involve linear thinking, where a problem is identified, a solution is implemented, and the result is expected to be a direct consequence of the action taken. However, in a complex adaptive system, the same action can produce different results at different times.
Management fixes also frequently fail because they focus on parts of the system rather than the whole. When managers try to optimise individual parts of an organisation, they can unintentionally destabilise the entire system.
Finally, many management fixes are based on outdated assumptions about human behaviour. They assume that people are rational, self-interested actors who respond predictably to incentives. But in reality, human behaviour is much more complex and unpredictable.
To succeed, management fixes need to take into account the complexity and unpredictability of both the system and the people within it. They need to be flexible, adaptive, and holistic, focusing on the entire system rather than individual parts.
Go to source article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2020/12/16/why-most-management-fixes-fail/