Success Makes Companies Slow

Success Makes Companies Slow

May 09, 2007

    LONDON, May 9 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Successful
companies grow, and as they grow, they become more complex
and it takes more time and effort to get things done,
according to research by Global Integration.  Eventually
complexity undermines what made the company successful in
the first place; the old, entrepreneurial spirit breaks
down, bureaucracy increases and progress slows.

    Breaking this cycle of decline is essential to the
continued success of Asian companies and outdated
management techniques are the problem.

    After 12 years working with ever more complex
"teams" in over 200 of the world's leading
companies in 40 countries and training over 40,000 people,
CEO, entrepreneur and author Kevan Hall reaches some
startling conclusions with major implications for
management in his new book "Speed Lead(TM) -- faster,
simpler ways to manage people, projects and teams in
complex companies." 

    1.  "Teamwork causes delay -- Even great companies
are struggling with an 
        epidemic of cooperation -- Managers spend 20% of
their time in 
        unnecessary meetings.  Everyone feels the need to
be involved in 
        everything and teams are the answer.  Team working
is no longer a 
        technique but a corporate value.  Yet teams often
do not work and are 
        expensive and difficult to run. 

    2.  Lack of communication is a problem of the past --
the challenge now is 
        how to disconnect from the mass of trivia and see
the few really 
        important messages.  Over 50% of emails are
unnecessary.

    3.  Decentralized control and information in
manufacturing have given us a 
        quality revolution over the last 15 years. 
Management control in 
        other areas however, has become more centralized
and this is causing a 
        damaging cycle of micromanagement and low
expectations of people at 
        work. 

    4.  Community at work has changed, it is more diverse
and less based on 
        place but companies still invest in traditional
"team spirit" and 
        "corporate values" which are often more
about the home culture of the 
        organization.

    Most team working, communication and leadership
training still carries inaccurate assumptions from a much
simpler management past.  Managers are spending 80% of
their time on cooperation, communication and control and
they estimate that 50% of this is wasted.  The answer is
not working harder with the old skills but implementing
faster and simpler ways of working.

    Kevan Hall is available for interview or feature
writing, please contact [e-mail] or
visit http://www.speedleading.com .

    "SPEED is the key word for companies in the Asia
Pacific Rim: China, Japan and Korea.  Kevan's remarkable
new book comes from his long practical experience and is
based on Creativity and Innovation, Simplicity and Ease of
applicability for managers of global companies." 
Professor Jae Ho Park, Founder of GRCIOP and Professor of
IO Psychology at Yeungnam University, South Korea. 

    "An eminently practical book, good at giving
pragmatic, realistic tips that can help the reader to
reframe and reflect on one's practice, and change behaviour
without the guilt from being 'stuck' in an outdated
managerial mindset.  A well-organized and enthusiastic
synthesis of good managerial practice."  Director
Magazine.




    For more information, please contact:

     Kevan Hall
     Global Integration
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]
     Web:   http://www.global-integration.com