Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Organisational Energy.  The Source of all Strategic Success 

Does your organisation have an energy strategy?  No?  Perhaps it is time you had one.  If you want to stay in business that is.

Here is why.

Every organisation is a dynamic and non linear system that can gain or lose energy over time.

Our research over three decades has shown us conclusively that ALL performance is a direct function of a system's energy level.

In brief a system's energy is the product of its ability to think and act intelligently.  Both skills can be taught and practised successfully.

Think of these two types of system intelligence as being mutually inclusive.  The one without the other is pointless.

Let's look at the concepts of strategy and execution.  Perfect examples of intelligent thinking and intelligent action.  They have to be mutually inclusive to be effective.  (This is not the case in many organisations.) 

System Energy - Driver of Strategic Capability 

The evidence is there and the conclusion is overwhelming.  High energy organisations are more innovative, have greater evolutionary capability and are more profitable than low energy organisations.

Let's look at a live example.  A large bank with 40,000 employees has a low system energy of 55%.  (We have a dedicated instrument for this.)  The new CEO wants to design a new strategy to meet the changing nature of the landscape. 

He has done his best and failed dismally.  And here is why.

The new strategy, to stand a chance of being remotely successful, needs to operate within a system with an energy level of (say) 75%.

There is a critical system energy shortfall of 20%.  

And this is why organisations need an Energy Strategy.

A system can only operate strategically within the current system energy envelope.

As in the case of the bank above (like most other banks) it can stand on its head and whistle Dixie, it will never achieve its new higher energy business strategy without either increasing system energy or breaking the laws of physics.

And this is the reason why 90% of current leadership and organisational development and transformation projects fail.  They are ignoring every basic law of systems and evolutionary science.

The Blind Leading the Deaf 

It takes no great leap of intelligence to understand the simple concept above.

That all strategic performance is a function of system energy.  Period.  There are no shortcuts other than witchcraft and magic.

If your strategy requires a system energy above that which is currently available, it will fail.  Guaranteed.

Therefore it is pointless to develop a business strategy without developing the requisite energy strategy at the same time.  Remember.  You cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

Action to build your own practical Energy Strategy  

Here are the basic steps in designing your own practical and effective system Energy Strategy.

• Measure your system energy.  Leaders, teams and organisation.  This is crucial.  Without these measures you are simply groping in the dark.  You have no clue. 

Until you do this more scientifically just ask a group of employees for their estimated system energy score. As a percentage. They will give you a good estimate.  If it's in the 50's you are in big trouble and probably going out of business.  In the 60's you have a chance if you move quickly.  Above 70% - you are competitive.

• Review your current strategy, objectives etc.  Estimate the level of system energy required to be effective.  Calculate the energy gap.
  
• Develop an energy strategy to close the gap.  Design and execute.

Remember Von Goethe.  "...just begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."