In recent times I have read a lot - perhaps too much - about strategy applied to organizations, and as I have mentioned in a previous article (Conclusions on strategic application? A path to Simplicity Strategy) I keep thinking and reaffirming myself, every day more in that the approach that, in many cases, we give to the problem of strategic decision-making, must be simplified. An organization's strategy must be flexible enough to change if circumstances change.
Information must flow fast enough in both directions to make the necessary adaptations and changes to the strategy. The time factor must be considered as a key, since conditions are constantly changing and we cannot even predict what they will be like in 3 months. Numerous classical literature based on strategy, Tao Te king, Wen Tzu, The Art of War, The Art of War II, Hagakure, etc. and many of the modern works based on them, speak of the Natural Way or insists "when you have a doubt, look at Nature". Let's take a quick look at what they mean:
1. Introduction
What does it mean “when you have a doubt look at Nature?
Simply that the laws of strategy can be extrapolated. Unfortunately, unlike the ancients, today the Naturals are not valued as in the past, as Lao Tse, Sun Bin, Sun Tzu and even Clausewitz did. Today we prefer methods. And in many cases they work, it is not necessary to take away the value that they have, but on the contrary, the methods are necessary, in a complex world like the current one, but they do not always work. Let's see some examples of what is the strategy of the natural world, this will bring us a little closer to what could be the strategy of simplicity.
You as a businessman or manager may feel strange reading about octopuses or roaches, pine or ducks, but be sure we have a lot to learn and they have a lot to teach us.
2. For organizations
The strategy to choose should take us from a current point in time and space to a more desirable future goal.
What would be the initial conditions?
1) "Know yourself"
2) "Know the environment"
3) "Know the nature of the conflict"
What would be the strategic guidelines that I can choose?
For our luck, the essential nature of man has not changed, in the last 5,000 years, his environment and social organization have been changing, but the essence and basic needs have not.
Luckily, the essential nature of the world around us has not changed either (and all this, social organization, environment, etc. is part of the initial conditions). For this reason, we can take advantage of the experiences already lived by others who, like us, walked the path of strategy, but who were also able to pass on their knowledge to us.
In the same way that there is entropy, action-reaction, chaos theory, just as there has always been conflict, everything around us shows us different paths, because if the strategic guidelines have something in common, it is that they can be extrapolated from one context to another.
What will be the objective that I will achieve?
Depending on the initial conditions and the chosen strategy, I will address one or the other, it is in my hands to choose and correct it.
Thus, the strategic decision-making process closes a circle, or what in programming is called an endless loop.
1) I verify that the destination of my Organization is not the desirable one, or perhaps it is.
2) I set a desirable destination, which may be the same one that I already had.
3) I know myself
4) I know the environment
5) I know the nature of the conflict - if any -
6) I choose the strategy to follow
7) I make the necessary decisions to implement the chosen strategy (although this is already implicit in strategy, since a strategic decision does not exist if it is not put into practice - if it is not put into practice, I could have done an interesting theoretical exercise, but nothing else, -)
8) I return to point number one.
3. (38 - The greatest sages emulate natural law)
The greatest sages emulate natural law, the sages of the immediate rank esteem good sense, the inferior sages leave things to the ministers. Leaving things to ministers is a dangerous and destructive path, estimating good sense is a source of madness and confusion, and emulating natural law is the way to rule heaven and earth.
Empty calm is the main point: there is nothing that emptiness cannot take within, nothing that calm cannot sustain. If you know the path of empty calm, you can finish what you start. This is the reason why the sages consider calm as order and alteration as disorder.
Thus it is said: «Do not be disturbed, do not be frightened; all things will clear themselves. Don't be uncomfortable or scared; all things will sort themselves out.
This is called the Path of natural law.
(Wen-Tzu known as "the understanding of the mysteries of the Tao")
4.- Let's see some examples of what “The natural strategy” can offer us
Convergent evolution, market paradigm
If you replace the word “evolution” by “development” and “species” by “company” you will find similarities applicable to what happens in the management and development of markets and companies.
Convergent evolution is the product of the independent evolution of one or more similar characters that, starting from different ancestral forms, develop on separate evolutionary lines (independent species) until they converge with time in a unique way.
Adaptation to flight - A very illustrative example of convergent evolution is the development of wings in animals as different as a bat, a bird or an insect. All started in ancestral different ways, but the character that allowed the development of that organ ended up converging on them, showing similar characters (see below the section on similar and homologous characters). Certain groups of already extinct animals (pterosaur reptiles) also developed wings at the time. The cause of this convergent evolution in such different beings lies in the need to adapt to similar life conditions, or to environmental conditions. Likewise, the example of wings has its homology in other forms adapted to aquatic life, such as fish and marine mammals;in all of them a common characteristic is distinguished, that of presenting bodies with hydrodynamic forms, indicative of their adaptation to the physical environment in which they decided to live; and in which some mammals, like cetaceans, have been losing their limbs until they have been reduced to simple vestiges.
Adaptation to food - In the same way that convergent evolution occurs in organs such as wings, this type of evolution is also seen in various adaptations to food. Thus, certain animals such as anteaters, pangolins, echidnas, etc., some from South America, and others from Australia, Africa or Asia, evolved independently and developed structures perfectly adapted to feed on ants, such as long tubular snouts. equipped with very long and slimy tongues, in order to capture insects inside their nests. Likewise, they also developed powerful claws to break the anthills and termite mounds, and more easily access the interior.
Convergent evolution at the molecular level - Some examples of convergence are very striking due to their specialization, since they can develop at the molecular level. Certain vegetarian animals, such as langurs (monkeys of the Colobinos subfamily) and ruminants, secrete into the saliva an enzyme (lysozyme) that acts in the stomach on the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the fermentation of plant foods, destroying the cell wall of these and becoming a non-specific agent of the defense of the organism. The amino acids in Colobinos and ruminants have unique similarities in their sequence, becoming a clear example of convergent evolution at the molecular level. The physiology and anatomy of digestion in both is also an example of another remarkable form of convergence.
Parallel evolution - Convergent evolution is sometimes distinguished from parallel evolution. As has been said, in convergent evolution one or more characters start from different ancestral forms, and evolve equally along separate lineages until they converge in the same form. However, in parallel evolution, although the characters may finally converge, they actually start from the same ancestral form.
These concepts are theoretical, because although both types of evolution occur in nature, these differences are difficult to identify in real cases, since the ancestral states from which the characters start are generally unknown. Probably, certain species of butterflies that share the same coloration, such as viceroy (edible for their predators) and monarch (inedible), have followed a parallel evolution. Other examples of parallel evolution could be the marsupial bear and the anteater; the flying squirrel and the flying marsupial; or the Tasmanian wolf (already extinct) and many canids that inhabit other continents. Although all have derived from the same marsupial ancestor, the isolation that some of them have suffered in the Australasia region have forced them to a parallel evolution.
Analog and homologous characters - Homologous characters are those corresponding to similar structures that, starting from a common ancestor, are transmitted by inheritance.
Analogous characters are those that, starting from different ancestors, end in structures that perform similar functions. The previous example regarding the function of wings in different species, serves to illustrate the concept of homologous and analogous characters. The character that fulfills the function of flying can evolve independently in two species (parallel or convergent). If evolution is parallel, the two species retain the common character of the ancestral species; if evolution is convergent, the character of the ancestral species is modified. Thus, the bone structures of the arm of a human and a bird are similar and homologous because they have a common origin; meanwhile, the wings of a bird, an insect, or a bat,they are analogous because although they have a different origin they fulfill and are designed for the same function, that of flying. If we examine in detail the organs of certain animals, we can observe the convergence of characters.
Thus, the wings of birds, bats and insects, although they have a functional similarity (they are analogous), however, there are great structural differences between them. For example, while in insects these structures are supported by ribs, in birds and bats they are bony. Likewise, birds and bats (which are homologous) support their structures with different bones. In order to establish the evolutionary diversification of species, or to reconstruct their phylogeny, it is of utmost importance to distinguish whether the characters being studied are homologous or analogous. Two species can have a great similarity, and for that reason we will deduce immediately that both are related, but it will only be so if that similarity responds to the concept of homology; otherwise we will be talking about analogy or convergence. Definitely,when the same character is present in two species you can only be for one of two reasons: either it was acquired by convergent evolution (analogy), or by inheritance from a common ancestor (homology). Homology is the argument that Charles Darwin used in 1859 to test the theory that species started from a common origin, and is the result of his observations on the Galapagos Islands.
Plants and animals also fight, win and lose
Rockrose are plants adapted to the extreme conditions of southern climates. They prefer acidic and siliceous soils. They grow in degraded places where other plants cannot, especially in regions scorched by summer fire since their seeds are not only protected against flames but are pyrophilic, that is, fire stimulates their germination capacity, up to such a point that to be able to reproduce the plant by seed, it is necessary to heat it to 100º before being sown. Thus when forest fires spread, the trees such as holm oaks and strawberry trees with which it lives are razed and the rockrose quickly move to replace them.
Subsequently, they play a protective role for rabbits or minor plant species that take refuge in their little shade. They come to form extensive, dense and impenetrable areas of vegetation, with which holm oaks or gorse hardly try to compete. The rockrose survival strategy is very effective: first it lignifies its trunk; most of them produce a resinous substance, labdanum, which reflects the sun's rays and prevents evaporation. In times of intense drought, reduce the area of evaporation by curving the edges of the leaves. Rockrose is a plant that plays a very important role in the conservation and recovery of soils degraded by fire or other causes.
"How often do you think a pine reproduces?
The experts do not coincide. Every 50 years? Every 75 years? Maybe never?
White pine or Aleppo pine are pyrophilic species, that is, species in which fire is part of their life cycle. It blooms from April to May, with pineapple maturing at the end of the second summer.
The pineapple can remain closed for a few years until, due to the heat generated in a fire, it opens to reseed the burned area. If there is no fire or very high temperatures, the pineapples do not open and therefore do not reproduce. In this aspect, pine has evolved to facilitate the creation of fires, emitting abundant essences and resins, which make it highly combustible.
It is also the case of eucalyptus: Exposure to a heat source responds to the natural tendency of this species to spread after a fire that opens its fruits and scatters its seeds on burned ground, an optimal situation both for the nutrients provided to the soil after combustion, as by the release of plants that rival their growth.
Eucalyptus is a plant that poorly tolerates, in its natural state, growth even to other species. On the other hand, it is so dependent on fire for its germination that it even contains pyrophilic essences and resins, which make a eucalyptus forest a fertile ground for fires.
Both species use fire as a strategy to eliminate their competitors in the habitat, because while they die, pines and eucalyptus reproduce effectively and grow much faster. They are therefore a danger to any native forest area. ”
"Hunting is one of the most unique aspects of the wolf, depending on the area of the world in which we find ourselves, both the type of prey and the way of hunting it vary, and that is that the wolf, as we have already said, is an animal that adapts to any environment.
Forced to include practically everything in his diet to survive, the type of prey in the area will determine the number of members of the pack, thus affecting the behavior patterns of the wolf. To try to simplify, we will present three possible cases:
1) Oxen, horses and prey of similar size; these prey are large in size compared to the wolf and therefore force him to attack in a pack and further develop his wits to catch them. For this type of weight, the wolves alternate biting in the groin area, lower abdomen or genitals and allowing the wounds to perform their function, weakening and knocking down the prey.
2) Roe deer, dogs, foxes and animals of similar size; the number of wolves required is less, and only one can suffice. The type of attack here varies depending on whether the individual can be a threat or not; in the case that the bite is not, it occurs in the neck exerting great pressure in the trachea area, in the case that if the bite will be in the area of the kidneys.
3) Rabbits and of similar size; In the same way as before, the wolf can hunt these preys in a group (usually a maximum of three) or alone. The bite will be given where the back of the neck can be preferred.
This classification is limited only to wild prey, but the wolf can be forced to feed food scraps in garbage cans or attack livestock, in the first case it is obviously based alone, in the second it may require more individuals if the livestock is guarded.
One of the techniques used by the wolf in these cases is to send an individual to be seen to attract and drive away the guard dogs while the others kill various pieces of livestock. Once finished, the wolves can also execute the dogs. protectors.
Taking up again the hunt for wild prey, which is where the wolf truly shows his cunning, he presents a great variety of strategies that usually consist of scaring the prey by making it run towards an area where another wolf waits to kill it or by surrounding it with various groups of wolves. Whatever the technique used by the wolf, what is undoubted is the selection they make of the prey, either due to illness, old age or excessive youth. This procures the famous survival of the strongest individual, so the hunting of the wolf can often be considered as a cleaning that helps nature to avoid the spread of diseases or the weakening of the species.
The wolf is thus shown as an animal aware of its limitations and that devises true hunting strategies to minimize them. Perhaps one of the things that can most attract attention is the ability of these animals to organize and hunt, and more if we take into account the communication limitations, which are not as many as they might seem to us in the first instance. Part of the explanation for these strategies is found in the learning phases carried out during the first year of life, although it has been shown that many of these are implicit in their own instincts and are not learned but developed.
Regarding their food needs, it is estimated that the wolf should procure 1.3 kg of food per day. Although it is true that the wolf is able to resist many days without eating or with a low prey regime, the truth is that as soon as it can, it will overcome past deficiencies by ingesting about 5kg of meat a day until it stabilizes again.
The distribution of a hunted prey in a group will be done following the order established by the hierarchy, with the dominant male allowing access to it. This causes omega individuals to be forced to sharpen their wits by feeding almost sneakily.
Wolves can stay with the prey until it is completely devoured, as long as they are not disturbed, or they can find out part of the catch, usually not very meaty pieces, to return and taste it later. The wolf that buried the piece is the only one who knows its location and is very careful not to be discovered by the other members of the pack.
This last attitude, believed to be developed by the wolf during the ice age, taking advantage of the excellent "conservation chamber" that the ice would provide, would serve as an explanation for the so-called lobadas.
However, there is no single criterion in this regard and some authors such as Gil Cubillo reject this possibility and attribute it more to the current situation of the piled up cattle and deprived of almost any defense instinct and possibility of escape, this would cause the predator a strange behavior that it would lead him to devour more prey than necessary for his feeding.
However this is not a peculiarity of the wolf and it is extensible to any predator that devours domestic animals, in addition to that it should not make us forget that in situations of normal hunting, that is to say wild pieces, the wolf performs a selective hunting that helps the balance of nature."
Eat and not be eaten
The crab feels unprotected when it goes looking for food. He walks menacingly with his claws up, warning potential predators that it is best to leave him alone. Suddenly, he senses danger and freezes.
Perfectly camouflaged, the octopus that followed him with his eyes as he moved now is not very clear about his situation. To encourage him to move, it changes color as if a rainbow pierced his body several times.
The crab moves just enough for the octopus to confirm its position and decide to attack. But, guided by the smell of the cephalopod, a brunette appears who, making any visual camouflage strategy useless, after a few bites eats the octopus.
The development of life implies the need for energy, which is obtained from food.
Macroalgae and phytoplankton, like terrestrial plants, are organisms capable of transforming inert matter into organic matter using solar energy. But all animals need to eat other living things to live. This tangle in which some produce organic matter and the rest eat each other is known as the food chain.
Hundreds of millions of years ago, cephalopods came to be at a peak where few ate them; but at present they serve as food for numerous species of sharks, bony fish, birds and marine mammals. For this reason they have developed a wide range of defensive strategies based on reducing the chances of encountering predators. But you cannot spend your whole life camouflaged, you have to go out looking for food and at the same time avoid being eaten. To achieve this double objective, they have perfected the defense systems, always alert, and have equipped themselves with a complex offensive arsenal. Natural selection has taught them the lesson: Attack can sometimes fail, but defense never.
Cephalopods are carnivores, and for eating they have designed various hunting strategies. These not only vary according to the species, but the same individual can choose the most appropriate technique depending on each prey.
Diet depends on where they live. Squids, due to their pelagic life, feed mainly on fish. Those that inhabit the bottom, like cuttlefish or octopuses, eat crabs, shrimp, mollusks, and to a lesser extent fish.
Sight is the most common sense used by cephalopods to search for food, and then touch, smell, and even receptors equivalent to the lateral line of fish, which function as a low-frequency ear allowing the detection of prey - and predators - at a distance.
In Sepia officinalis, a visual attack sequence has been observed for shrimp hunting that consists of three phases and whose pattern is also followed by other cephalopods. First, the predator pays attention to the prey, observing changes in its behavior. To distract her, they lift and move the first pair of arms, and sometimes the second. He then proceeds to the position phase, swimming slowly until he is at the proper distance to execute the third phase, the attack. In an instant it launches the tentacles towards the shrimp, quickly attaching and holding on with its arms. The sequence may vary depending on the prey: if this is a crab, it often substitutes a jump on the animal for the last phase.
Ambushing is another visual hunting technique. Octopuses use their extraordinary abilities to blend in with the environment and stalk prey.
Cuttlefish await half buried in the sand, and similar behavior has even been described in squids, which lie on the bottom adopting their color, becoming little less than invisible. In all these cases the method is very simple: lie down and wait, and when the potential prey is within the radius of action, the attack is sudden.
Deep-sea cephalopods use photophores and tentacles as bait to "fish" other animals. Sometimes cuttlefish also use this system, darkening the body so that the first pair of arms stands out more, then slowly moves them back and forth, until some shrimp "itches."
But the strategies cited don't work when it comes to catching fast-swimming fish. Because of their speed, it is not possible to chase them, with the ambush they would pass so fast that they would not give time to react, and the bait would not even look at it.
Giving up these minnows would be pointless considering the huge number of sardines, horse mackerel or anchovies that live on the coasts of the world. Evolution should have favored the design of capture techniques for these fish.
And that is what happened. The strategy begins once they detect the prey; some squid then initiate a stealthy head-back chase to better take advantage of the jet's momentum. They must be very careful not to be discovered, since then the fish would flee. When the cephalopod is close to its tail -because it is least likely to be detected- it initiates a quick turning maneuver, placing the tentacles forward and thanks to the change in direction of the siphon it pounces on the fish.
Although the mouth is small, the use of the arms to catch the prey while eating it justifies that many researchers claim that the cephalopods have a "large functional mouth". Let's think that any vertebrate that wants to eat large prey needs a mouth of a suitable size, except those that use our hands, of course.
In the case of slower prey, rarely fish, the chase continues even if the intent of the cephalopod is discovered. Octopuses follow the crab until they catch it, providing an example of "visually guided" persecution. Others, such as cuttlefish, when the hunting attempt fails, usually begin the entire operation, although in this case the moment of the attack is not visually guided, but only launches the tentacles - or the entire body - once it has determined its position, calling itself “ballistic attack”.
The study of the attack techniques of the squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea shows us the complexity of the behavior of cephalopods. Four different ways of hunting have been described: persecution; the ambush camouflaging itself among floating algae; imitation of the herbivorous parrotfish, by displaying two black dots and changing the body shape, so that the prey does not run away when they see a “harmless fish” approaching; and even speculative hunting based on the sense of touch, removing the sandy bottoms in search of food.
And it is that, after the sight, the touch is the most important sense in the feeding of numerous cephalopods. Many octopuses whose diet consists of crabs and bivalves are based on it: they blindly rummage through the fissures with their tentacles until they locate the prey.
Others also dig through the sand to detect buried crustaceans and mollusks. Not looking has its risks, being able to find the unpleasant surprise that who lives in the crack is a brunette; they then immediately flee, often with a few tentacles missing.
Sometimes hunger lowers your guard, and other times its intensity causes animals of the same species to devour each other. In fact, cannibalism is common in cephalopods. It is known that in its first weeks of life there is a high incidence of cannibalism, and that it extends to the juvenile phases, although less frequently. Many species of octopus are cannibals in their adult life, the easier it is to appear the greater the size difference.
We have seen that cephalopods are excellent predators, and in turn are eaten by other animals. Most of what we know about their eating behavior is due to laboratory and aquarium studies. Now the challenge is to go deeper into the investigations carried out in their own habitats, where the answers are not influenced by our presence. It is not an easy task, but the fascination that his study produces will more than compensate the efforts.
Natural world strategies: Why the AIDS virus spreads.
Natural world strategies: Why the AIDS virus spreads.
The size and shape of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can vary in size without losing its properties and main structure. This behavior has remained unanswered until very recently. Scientists from the universities of Oxford and Heidelberg, have found the key by revealing the actual morphology of the virus.
As they reveal, while in most viruses it is the central structures that define the size, normally fixed (and with a fixed amount of genetic material), in HIV the membrane is what is responsible for the nucleus that contains the genetic material expanding to reach the outer layer that covers it (the larger the virus, the more genetic material it contains). A good reflection for companies.
The human being, no matter how human, remains linked to the biology of his evolution.
The human being, no matter how human, remains linked to the biology of his evolution.
In bad weather, many girls. Mothers under intense stress are at higher risk of miscarriage if the baby is a boy, according to a study by the University of California at Berkeley (USA).
The cause of this sexual discrimination is not clear, although it could be an evolutionary adaptation strategy to favor the birth of girls in times of crisis and thus ensure the transmission of maternal genes, and facilitate the reproduction and growth of community. Some authors believe that the stressed mother releases cortisol, a hormone that further damages male fetuses, who are often the most vulnerable. Others, however, believe that fetuses are not hormonally assaulted, but that pregnant women are less tolerant to weak fetuses, especially if they are boys.
Whatever the reason, the fact is proven.
Cockroaches live in a democracy
They consult in assembly the decisions that affect the community
A study carried out in Brussels has shown that cockroaches cooperate spontaneously to form communities that allow them certain benefits, such as greater possibilities of reproduction or of obtaining food. The group's behavioral mechanism is sustained through chemical, visual, and tactile communication (by antennas), and it completely lacks the need for a leader. This “democracy between insects” could explain the spontaneous behaviors of many animal species, whose decisions would be meaningful if one takes into account that there is an underlying language and intelligence among the members of each group. By Marta Morales.
Cockroaches practice an intelligent way of coexistence, very similar to what humans know as "democracy": each of the insects in the group has a similar importance, and general consultations always precede decisions that will affect the entire community, indicates a study by the Free University of Brussels, published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study was conducted to find out how collective decisions affect certain insect communities, when choosing between several possible alternatives. When and how do individuals in a group induce a particular collective decision? This research has shown that elections can arise through a non-linear and dynamic interaction between equal individuals, without the need for a specific leader.
The study has highlighted that cockroach decisions follow a predictable pattern that could explain the group's functional dynamics, as well as that of other insect and animal communities, such as ants, spiders, fish, and even cows.
Communication through antennas
Cockroaches are silent animals, so their communication when deciding is based on signals. This mechanism confers the maximum profit achievement for each of the group members. In fact, the study has brought to light the existence of a collective decision-making process.
Lacking any type of vocalization, cockroaches communicate through tactile and chemical signals, as well as through vision. When two individuals are found, they recognize if they are part of the same colony, thanks to their antennae and their smell, since they have very sensitive olfactory organs.
The director of the research, José Halloy, a scientist from the Department of Social Ecology at the Free University of Brussels, studied the behavior of a group of cockroaches in an enclosure in which there were three possible shelters. The research sought to know how cockroaches were divided between these three possibilities.
After many consultations, testing with their antennas, the cockroaches split perfectly. Each of the shelters had a capacity for 40 insects, and in total the experiment was carried out with 50 roaches: 25 were placed in the first shelter, another 25 in the second shelter, and the third was left empty.
When scientists altered the shelters, making them capable of housing 50 insects, cockroaches from the second shelter “moved” to the first, leaving the second one empty.
Cooperation and competition
Therefore, Halloy and his colleagues discovered that there is a balance between cooperation and competition for the resources existing in these insect colonies. Cockroaches benefit from community life, because it increases their chances of reproduction or their chances of obtaining food, among other advantages. So they decide to increase the number of members of their group if possible.
From this finding it follows that the same behavior mechanism may exist in other groups of animals: fish and insects are able to divide into subgroups without the need for a leader to organize them.
The research is important because it describes the underlying mechanisms of decision-making in the animal world, and how they use resources through a certain type of communication. For cockroaches, it is natural to cooperate with each other, since they spontaneously know how to stand next to each other to get the most out of their coexistence.
Cockroaches appeared about 400 million years ago, survived the extinction of dinosaurs and the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagashaki during the Second World War. It is estimated that there are 3,500 species of cockroaches on the planet, of which only a small number (between five and seven) live in homes and buildings. The rest live in the forests.
Job rotation can bring benefits
One of the curiosities of mother nature is manifested in the flight of geese in the formation of "V". The flight ritual of these animals has left scholars with very interesting lessons about teamwork. And one of the lessons is about the desirability of periodic rotation within teams. The leader of the flock rotates from time to time, leaving his place to another leader, and moving to another position within the vee.
The most successful organizations in the world have discovered that this technique, applied to headquarters within the hierarchical structure, also brings various benefits, which become obvious almost immediately after the move.
The rotation cycle varies according to the type of organization that applies it, but some management experts recommend that it not exceed five years.
The rotation of positions - not only of headquarters but also of middle-level personnel below - must obviously take place in a technical and organized manner and, very importantly, following a situational assessment.
Although the trend of the "500 Fortune Companies" suggests that most of these movements bring more benefits than harm, it is also true that in some cases, if it is not managed situationally, that is, seeing each case in particular, it can generate "Boomerang effect".
However, everyone agrees that the benefits far outweigh the momentary instability that occurs after rotation. For operational staff, rotation generally means the opportunity to learn about new positions, broaden their perspective and become more multifunctional - which strengthens them more in the organization.
The rotation in management positions responds to the need to rethink both perspectives: that of the boss and that of the human team that he directed. It is a fact that people - over time - become folded into the routine, and that this could propel them to a less creative, less innovative, conformist model of behavior.
At the same time, the boss sometimes forms relationship ties that due to their intensity could be inconvenient for the interests of the team and the company. When the rotation occurs, both the boss and the organization have the opportunity to take advantage of the experience accumulated in another team or in another project, while injecting the officer with a wealth of new expectations and good intentions.
It is important to rescue that rotation in large organizations is not seen as a punishment for anyone, nor is it because the boss is inadequate in his position or in his management. If it is bad, it simply does not work within the organization, and the administration would be wrong to assign that head the address of another unit, since it would only have "transferred the problem".
On the contrary, the rotation seeks to take advantage of the accumulated wisdom, good track record and enthusiasm of the leader, to develop another team or impact the performance of another productive unit that perhaps lacked that type of energy.
The practice of periodic job rotation is booming in the corporate world.
It is part of that evolutionary mindset of new management models. It has already proven to be successful in numerous companies, and in the long run, it will bring renewed vigor and challenges to headquarters, human teams and organizations.
5. Conclusion
The solutions to our daily problems, in terms of direction and strategic competences, we have around us, simplify your processes, make the information flow and look for simple solutions, although for this you must stop for a while to think.
You will be on the path of simplicity strategy. The natural world is an example, but even there, species disappear, become extinct. Ultimately we live in a world of change and we have to adapt to it.
6. Bibliography
Reference articles on the internet:
- Cabrera, HG Teaching strategy. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos14/estrat-ensenanza/estrat-ensenanza.shtmlDomínguez, A. Evolutionary biology. Convergent evolution. González, RC "Skill in strategy", Work on the chapter "Skill in strategy", from the book "The Strategic Process" by H. Mintzberg and JB Quinn, Editorial Prentice Hall Hispanoamericana, Mexico, 1993. http: //www.monografias.com/trabajos11/henrym/henrym.shtmlGuerrero, F. Theories of complexity: a paradigm for the study of organizations. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos14/teoria-complejidad/teoria-complejidad.shtmlLefcovich, ML. Kaizen strategy. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos15/estrat-kaizen/estrat-kaizen.shtmlMarcané, JA. From strategy to strategic management. An approach to the integration of the strategic levels,tactical and operational. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos13/tacope/tacope.shtmlNava, C. In search of the strategos - The professional of Strategy and the Competitive phenomenon http://www.monografias.com/trabajos14/strategos/strategos. shtml
Other references:
elrros.tripod.cl/elrrosweb/id21.html
www.tendencia21.net/Las-cucarachas-viven-en-democracia_a954.html;
