Mobilizing Minds

Despite the fact that email, voice mail, and meetings have decreased interaction costs in many companies, they have not necessarily enabled professionals to effectively and efficiently collaborate, for while costs may have declined, the shear volume of interaction has increased. The primary reason is that the vast majority of today’s companies are based on 20th century structures - vertical, top-down hierarchical models. And some made even more complicated with matrixed reporting overlays.

In the 21st century, creating value will depend on enabling thinking-intensive professionals to work freely with each other - across the enterprise. Companies that are not redesigned to accommodate such collaboration will result in unproductive complexity and lower profits per employee.

The organizational ideas put forth by Bryan and Jones in Mobilizing Minds comprise directional strategies that will help organizations design and build collaborative enterprises that better fit and capitalize on the emerging technologies of our digital age.