The Path of Least Resistance for Managers: Designing Organizations to Succeed

Beginners will pick up some basics, but people experienced in systems thinking or modelling will be dissapointed.This book is really just an introduction to a very constrained set of systems thinking ideas. For people who have not seen the ideas before, it is a very straight forward and readable introduction.However, for people who have already been introduced to these ideas, which includes anyone who has read any of Senge's books, this is 20 pages of ideas crammed into a 200 page book.I would expect that anyone who would seek books out on this topic is already too knowledgable to find it of any use. If you are unfamiliar with the topics, however, it is not a bad first read (though I would still recommend The Fifth Discipline instead).

Robert Fritz takes a novel approach to corporate organizational theory by framing his book around the laws of nature. Fritz is especially attached to the law that states that energy follows the path of least resistance, and in this book, he urges managers to utilize this principle in reshaping their organizations. Once you get past this conceptual foundation, however, the advice that's offered here will sound pretty familiar to anyone acquainted with the basics of strategic planning. Form a central vision, create attainable goals, break goals down into smaller steps, assess your results, adjust your strategies; these techniques are all mentioned. But Fritz's adoption of scientific and engineering principles for management purposes, combined with the accompanying charts and examples, make the book an engaging read, despite the less-than-original conclusions. We [...] recommend this book to executives, managers and individuals who are looking for a new, if slightly theoretical, view of how to organize their companies or their lives.

If you ever have wondered why success often leads to failure, and why it is hard to sustain, then Robert Fritz's, Path of Least Resistance for managers is an ideal read for you.Mr. Fritz introduces you to the concept of structure, and the relationship between competing forces. When this happens, for example, build new products while cutting investment, you end up in a back-and-forth or "oscillating" pattern. Short term success is undercut by long term trends toward failure.What is necessary for you as a manager within an organization is to determine what is most important, and what really drives your business. Bottom-line what are you trying to achieve and how will you recognize success when you see it.Some of you may have a difficult time with Fritz's philosophies, which are really quite simple.My favorite part is his list of questions that begins.1. What do you want?2. What does your customer want?3. Is there a match?If you and your organization cannot answer those three questions (and the others that follow) then perhaps you may want to spend a little time thinking about them.Cheers!

"When organizations understand the laws and principles of structure and how these create their paths of least resistances, they can rethink, reinvent, and redesign themselves. They can reach new heights of accomplishment and greatness that had not been within their reach in the past. From our knowledge of structure and how it works, we can begin anew (from the Epilogue p.217)."'The Path of Least Resistance for Managers' is a next generation of its predecessor, 'Corporate Tides'. Throughout this current study, R. Fritz discusses the nine laws of organizational structure :1. Organizations either oscillate or advance.2. In organizations that oscillate, success is neutralized. In organizations that advance, success succeeds.3. If the organization's structure remains unchanged, the organization's behavior will revert to its previous behavior.4. A change of structure leads to a change of the organization's behavior.5. When structural tension dominates an organization, the organization will advance.6. When structural conflicts dominate an organization, oscillation will result.7. An inadequate organizational structure cannot be fixed. But you can move from an inadequate structure to a suitable structure.8. When a senior organizing principle is absent, the organization will oscillate. When a senior organizing principle is dominant, the organization will advance.9. The values that dominate an organization will displace other competing, lesser values.As written by Peter Senge, "The Path of Least Resistance for Managers is not the last word on structure. It is probably more like the first word. But, for many people concerned with building organizations that are more capable and more exciting, it is a great starting point."I highly recommend.

The copy was worn and had sections yellow highlighted. Not a good copy for sure