Sustainable Organization and Tom Friedman's The World is Flat

Tom was on Charlie Rose last night (April 27) and he gave a really good interview about his book. Aside from the calculated pitch he was making against Bush's Social Security initiative and his self-serving pumping up of some his more obvious insights, he did make a point I think may be really telling and could be a source for optimism about a sustainable community of nations. In effect, the forces of realpolitics might get counterbalanced by the interdependency created through supply chains that cross national boundaries and make businesses and economies operate more like a network than stand alone nation states. From a Sustainable Organization point of view, we may be seeing the emergence of a cascaded context that undercuts the "win" "lose" propositions of traditional nation states and their bureaucracies. I hope so.

Implications of supply chain interdependence also tie into other aspects of Sustainable Organization. I'm thinking particularly of how Adaptive Alignment and Requisite Competencies in a "just in time" environment start to make labour an infinitely shiftable commodity. The need for a consistent methodology for measurement of competencies thus gains significant momentum.

Interpretation of Psychometric Results

Interpretation Styles
There are three distinct styles of interpretation for different purposes: “summary’, “expert”, and “collaborative”.
Collaborative Style
This is the preferred style for fact to face interpretation with the subject himself. The graphic output and the order of the graphic output lends itself to “collaborative”interpretation. The subject is trained to interpret a graph pattern and the significanceof the numerical distribution, and then proceeds to be coached through his own interpretationof his results. The administrator is expected to solicit feedback from the
subject about descriptors, and the utility of the information for himself. Discrepantinformation should be fed back to HUMAN PATTERNS so that we can update and upgradethe outputs to improve the utility and accuracy of the instrument.
Summary Style
Used for rapid response to a third party who qualifies as a customer. The usual purpose for this is a hiring or placement input (not decision). The consultant gives a rapid accurate overview of preferences and rejections in four key areas: Personal, Interpersonal, Occupational, and Leadership and Management. If there is a specificjob role profile, this is added in at the end. The consultant does not get into“why” issues with the third party, nor does the consultant discuss the “value” ofthese preferences unless there is a clear job profile. If there is a clear jobprofile, the consultant discusses difference against the profile and suggests thatthese differences be checked for with managers or references.
Expert Style
Used to respond to an “invested” party; someone who will work with or for the person who completed HUMAN PATTERNS. Usually this is the supervisor, team member, or partner, and both parties will probably exchange and discuss profile information. With an”expert” style, the administrator feeds back results in a straightforward, direct fashion It limits inaccuracy and the potential for subjective interpretation by the “invested party”. The format of the Administrator’s Number Sheet lends itself to rapid and clear “expert” interpretation. The Administrator reviews Energy Distribution numbers, Themes, Switches and shifts, and Clusters.