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n In a changing world the tendency of a winning team to freeze is
the biggest danger facing successful corporations. Winning teams
readily succumb to the temptation to seeing themselves as “having
the one-size fits all formula” for success. They remain winning
teams only when they are forced to think through the answers to
questions relevant to a rapidly changing situation.

n De Geus argues that the learning organization must be more than
a repository of acquired knowledge. It must apply what is learned
in order to be flexible in strategic and tactical thinking and action.
What is known must constantly be questioned to ensure that it
remains relevant. More, the learning organization must practise
frugality so that it always has adequate financial resources with
which to meet an emergency or a strategic sea change.

n Established companies (those that had survived beyond five years
from launch), only a decade ago, had a life expectancy averaging 60
years. In today’s fast moving markets that average has fallen to
twelve years and is still declining (Harvard Business School Global
Research, 1999). Survival depends, as never before, on building
and fostering an appropriate culture and doing it more quickly
than ever before. Again that demands that the right questions are
asked.

Questions arising from the research to make it
meaningful to your company today

Looking outward to the marketplace

n How does an organization such as this move from where we are to
where we have to be at the lowest possible cost in the shortest
possible time?

n What is our key competitive edge in the eyes of our most
worthwhile customers right now?
– How can we apply that edge to gain more customers like them?
– How can we use our advantage to set the rules by which others
have to play?
– If we manage to get ahead of the pack, how will we stay ahead?

Looking inward at ourselves

n How can we best use explicit knowledge in our organization?
n Can we leverage explicit knowledge in order to be able to direct,

without stifling, tacit knowledge?

xvi Introduction