Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!

PRINCIPLE 1

Get the Whole Systemin the Room

At a meeting a few years back, we presented a case study of IKEA, the global furniture retailer, where 53 people had in 3 days decentralized a global system for product design, manufacture, and distribution (Weisbord & Janoff, 2005). The plan was developed by people from 10 countries and from all affected functions. Customers and suppliers participated, as did the CEO, who signed off on it immediately. The group formed implementation task forces on the spot. Two years later, the business area manager for seating reported that IKEA had transformed its product strategy and now routinely brought product developers, suppliers, and customers together early in the process.

At the end of our talk, one consultant, ...