The other day, Ed Brenegar over at Leading Questions, and I were discussing the question, “What’s the real difference between linearity and non-linearity in doing business strategy?”
Tom Peters, makes the distinctions between non-rational, non-linear,
and more linear ways when he speaks of “thinking logically, and developing a
plan ... to succeed.” Tom speaks of his 15 books and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of columns and articles and posts he wrote to —“describe messy reality and offer a few practical suggestions for dealing with it.” 
Personally I enjoyed the books I read, and at times learned from both Tom’s engineering background and other times from his art for writing and engaging people.
The point is, that neither one nor the other, tends to represent the full range of intelligences needed. Take a business problem – let say – more and more customers no longer fly your airline and you need more passengers to cut even. Sound like a reality?
In linear ways you might list the customer problems you see … such as anger, refusal to pay current prices, flippant blogs daily describing your poor service, and word of mouth complaints – each topping the next, and a competitor’s tactics to scoop your fleeing passengers.
In non-linear ways you might brainstorm with passenger groups, redesign a bag program where fewer bags go missing, offer better food service and charge a bit more to cover the costs of the airline’s new gourmet creation, and create a series of ads to win back lost passengers.
In linear ways you might prepare a sequence of steps to improve the airline’s service – with criteria to be met for each step and a deadline set for each benchmark.
In non-linear ways you might create a contest to motivate people to win back customers through ideas for art, music, movement and interviews – with prizes offered for the winning insights.
Linear and non-linear, as I see it, seem to be far less useful terms lately than they were when business leaders used them a decade ago. In the same way that the terms right and left brain – no longer describe the full mix of capabilities in the human brain, these terms tend to leave out the amazing acumen that offers an integrated solution. Integration activates linear and non-linear approaches.
People come with multiple intelligences, for instance, and the linear intelligences might solve one part of the problem, but the non-linear approaches could take a firm over the top. Have you ever wondered why we find it hard to integrate different approaches when we set out to solve a problem? Why do we favor one approach over the other, in your opinion?
I think we live in an age of paradox, where we need to learn to integrate seemingly divergent approaches. The use of polarity management as a thinking and problem solving tool is very useful, because it teaches us to identify and draw the positives from two (apparently) polar opposite positions. We can use this technique to develop a synergistic "third way," which is often better than either of the polar opposites. It follows, that if your fictional airline combined linear and non-linear approaches, it would generate a treasure trove of possible solutions.
The new neurological information that we now have places a tremendous challenge to our courage. Are we prepared to look at ourselves and act differently based on this info., or will it be business as usual? For example, are we prepared to develop the strength of character and listening skills required to enable us to draw the positives from views and perspectives that we do not agree with?
Posted by: Galba Bright | November 3, 2006 5:48 AM | Permalink to Comment