Convulsive Change

On the morning of Tuesday 29th May 1453, the capital of Eastern Roman empire, Constantinople, became the object of a successful, but hostile take over bid by Sultan Mehmet II. This was the starting point and the catalyst for the greatest wave of change, and exploration, seen in modern times.

In an age where the pace of change was measured in tens of years, if not centuries, the Europeans, within three generations, had effectively spread their influence through Africa, Asia and the Americas. Putting in place the first foundations of the economic, political and social organisation of the modern world. The residues of which still echo in many of our current difficulties.

The exploration was driven by one over-riding economic imperative - the cost increases in spices from their point of origin in the East Indies to the markets in Europe. The co-incidental colonisation and exploitation of the newly discovered lands was an unfortunate, and unforeseen, by-product of this economic necessity.

The history of our world is marked by such significant events: in politics, economics, invention and social change. The events in New York, on the 11th September last year are being seen as a similar catalyst in our time. One year on from the tragedy, US government policy is of active global engagement that has significantly changed international relationships, and power balances, across the whole world.

The underlying recession in the US economy, which was hitting primary industries, like steel and basic chemicals in 2000, emerged as a raging "bear" market hitting the "sunrise industries" and bringing the TMT markets to a shuddering stop. And has seen the downfall, for various accounting and financial reasons of Enron, Global Crossing, WorldCom and, more parochially, Marconi. If Alan Greenspan is to be believed, "we may be seeing the end of American capitalism in its current form." And who can forecast what the new form will be.

CHI Strategy believes that we sit on the edge of a new and complex age; of change and exploration.

Where few, if any, of the old ways, structures and certainties will survive:

• Where new organisational and communications structures will replace the familiar and comfortable.

• A world of SMS, 3G and broadband, where command and control management will increasingly fail.

• Where the race for economic growth is won with knowledge capital - shared not concealed. Where knowledge is only power when it is available to the whole community in your organisation.

• Where information and knowledge are the only effective capital that can grow your business.

And where the management of knowledge may become the single most important activity in your business.

Significant American and European studies show that access to information and the capacity to share knowledge are probably the only discriminators between failing and successful enterprises. But the access and sharing processes are useless, unless harnessed to, and driven by, a clear vision of the business embraced by all, empowered by the senior management and involving all levels in the organisation. A vision everyone can see and work to.

Who can help?

CHI Strategy has been created to support UK and European companies in the move towards building these capabilities within their organisation. CHI Strategy does this by working with you and for you to:

• Understand your current situation

• Support the delivery of sustainable change

• Help create the capacity to access and share knowledge

• Empower the organisation "to do different things better"

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Last updated: 05/06/03

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