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Matt Basford in People Systems

Nov 20, 2016

8 principles of an exponential organization

An exponential organization is one that systematically orients itself towards hyper growth and innovation. It is actually more comfortable taking risks and experimenting with new ideas than maintaining the status quo. It expects to bet big, and win big…

Matt Basford in People Systems

Jan 3, 2017

Company Culture: It’s the little things

Company culture. Everyone talks about it, but what does it really mean? Some approach this question boldly, like Brian Chesky of AirBnB, recounting Peter Thiel’s main piece of advice: “Don’t fuck up the culture.” Others, like Jim Collins in Good to Great, talk…

Matt Basford in People Systems

Apr 29, 2017

An organizational network based around value and influence

Some of the best thinking around more progressive models of organizational design primarily — in my experience — center around how to cultivate a network of high-performing teams that don’t follow typical hierarchical management…

Ben Martin in People Systems

Jan 19, 2017

Tackling employee on-boarding

Employee on-boarding is a curious problem. In today’s business environment, rapid innovation and bringing products to market faster is the order of the day. Companies are now asking themselves “how can we get new hires “working” and innovating as quickly as possible?”

Matt Basford in People Systems

Mar 2, 2017

3 principles for taming complexity

When the US Military, an exceptional example of robust machinery, process, and efficiency, took on a war with the much smaller, under-resourced and undisciplined Al Qaeda it appeared to be a classic match of David vs. Goliath. But, the networked, fast and renegade…

Matt Basford in People Systems

Jan 25, 2017

Momentum as the antidote to over-planning

Management consultancies likely won’t readily admit this, but they make a killing making change management complicated. After all, what is harder than change? It even feels hard to think about. Multiply it by X-thousand employees and you have an 18-month…

Matt Basford in People Systems

Jan 9, 2017

Why leadership is killing your company

What is the role of leadership and management within organizations? Seems like such a simple question, that to even ask it implies a certain naivety about the very basics of business. But, allow me to paint two scenarios:

Matt Basford in People Systems

Dec 18, 2016

The power of small

Conventional wisdom says that bigger is better. Bigger challenges require more people. High-growth companies need to focus on scale. Bigger departments have the capacity to solve bigger problems.

Matt Basford in People Systems

Nov 12, 2016

The premise of ‘People Systems’

It’s become more widely understood that technology is fundamentally uprooting so many industries we’ve come to know and love. Subscription services like Spotify and Tidal have completely changed the paradigm of “buying” music. Netflix is ushering in an era of cord cutters…

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People Systems

In 1955 the life expectancy of a Fortune 500 company was 75 years. Today, it’s 15 years. Technology is having a disruptive force on every industry on the planet, which is changing not just what we do, but how we do it — as individuals, but more importantly, as organizations.

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