Review
"What a fountain of information for both established as well as new organizations. It's a refreshing perspective on cutting through the mess. It will serve all of us who are wracked by never ending organizational problems."
Jaye Muller, the founder and former Chair of JFAX Corporation
"In "Gaming The System" Jim Rieley artfully minimizes the divide between business skills and common sense management practices.
He shows depth and a belief in people and their needs in today's business arena that will strike a chord in every organizational development leader's heart. Gaming the System should help readers to take greater responsiblity for growing organizational effectiveness through communication, a focus on core capabilities, and shared vision."
Marcia Bradley, Chief People Officer, Ericsson Wireless Communications, San Diego
Jaye Muller, the founder and former Chair of JFAX Corporation
"In "Gaming The System" Jim Rieley artfully minimizes the divide between business skills and common sense management practices.
He shows depth and a belief in people and their needs in today's business arena that will strike a chord in every organizational development leader's heart. Gaming the System should help readers to take greater responsiblity for growing organizational effectiveness through communication, a focus on core capabilities, and shared vision."
Marcia Bradley, Chief People Officer, Ericsson Wireless Communications, San Diego
Product Description
"We spend too much time firefighting and fighting among oursleves" ..... "our management meetings are taking too much time, they're just not productive anymore" ....."it was a good idea, but it lacks direction. It has no day to day manager sitting abover it" ...... "these measures have come at the expense of innovation."
Sound familiar? These are all real statements from real employees in businesses where the organisation itself, and the priorities that it sets, have become the end and not the means. Places where people do what gets counted, and lose sight of what counts.
Optimistic sales projections, creative accounting, fear of risk taking, uneccessary meetings, e-mail "cc" culture, resistance to change, empire building....all symptoms of people playing the organisational game. It comes to every organisation, and it drains resources and squanders opportunities.
Are your people doing what needs doing? or doing what gets measured once a month? How many people in your business can't get to the bigger competitive challenges beacause they're busy "firefighting"?
This book will explore why and how people play the political game, respond to internal dynamics rather than market movements and work to company deadlines rather than market trends. It will show you how to understand and identify the symptoms of playing the system, mitigate its effects and then act to tackle its causes.
It's time to stop playing the organisation game and start playing the competitive game.
In a world in which organisations are facing an ongoing struggle to improve their outcomes, it has become increasingly clear that by simply 'cranking up' the productivity targets, their organisational gains are rarely sustainable. Of all the issues facing organisations that are inhibiting this ability, it is the organisational population's ability to 'game the system' that limits the success of initiatives.
In order to be able to deal effectively with this issues, managers at all levels need to understand the dynamics at play in an organisation that create the ability to 'game the system,' as well as ways in which to mitigate its effects.
Gaming the system occurs on many levels in an organisation, and in many forms. Gaming the System identifies how structures in organisations (both explicit and implicit policies and procedures, stated goals, and mental models) drive behaviours that are detrimental to long-term organisational success. Through the utilisation of case examples, the book shows how to identify these behaviours and develop ways in which to counteract their negative effects that will minimise the long-term personal and organisational potential. The book highlights three core-competencies that can mitigate the negative impacts of organisational gaming the system.
Sound familiar? These are all real statements from real employees in businesses where the organisation itself, and the priorities that it sets, have become the end and not the means. Places where people do what gets counted, and lose sight of what counts.
Optimistic sales projections, creative accounting, fear of risk taking, uneccessary meetings, e-mail "cc" culture, resistance to change, empire building....all symptoms of people playing the organisational game. It comes to every organisation, and it drains resources and squanders opportunities.
Are your people doing what needs doing? or doing what gets measured once a month? How many people in your business can't get to the bigger competitive challenges beacause they're busy "firefighting"?
This book will explore why and how people play the political game, respond to internal dynamics rather than market movements and work to company deadlines rather than market trends. It will show you how to understand and identify the symptoms of playing the system, mitigate its effects and then act to tackle its causes.
It's time to stop playing the organisation game and start playing the competitive game.
In a world in which organisations are facing an ongoing struggle to improve their outcomes, it has become increasingly clear that by simply 'cranking up' the productivity targets, their organisational gains are rarely sustainable. Of all the issues facing organisations that are inhibiting this ability, it is the organisational population's ability to 'game the system' that limits the success of initiatives.
In order to be able to deal effectively with this issues, managers at all levels need to understand the dynamics at play in an organisation that create the ability to 'game the system,' as well as ways in which to mitigate its effects.
Gaming the system occurs on many levels in an organisation, and in many forms. Gaming the System identifies how structures in organisations (both explicit and implicit policies and procedures, stated goals, and mental models) drive behaviours that are detrimental to long-term organisational success. Through the utilisation of case examples, the book shows how to identify these behaviours and develop ways in which to counteract their negative effects that will minimise the long-term personal and organisational potential. The book highlights three core-competencies that can mitigate the negative impacts of organisational gaming the system.
From the Author
Mitigating negative organisational effects.
When I was researching the material for Gaming the System, I was amazed at the level at which organisations of all types, from all sectors, and all government agencies, were unable to implement sustainable organisational initiatives. This, I discovered, was due to employees "gaming the system." Gaming the System illuminates the cost of organisational gaming to stakeholders and shareholders alike and helps readers identify ways in which they can mitigate the negative effects of organisational gaming.
When I was researching the material for Gaming the System, I was amazed at the level at which organisations of all types, from all sectors, and all government agencies, were unable to implement sustainable organisational initiatives. This, I discovered, was due to employees "gaming the system." Gaming the System illuminates the cost of organisational gaming to stakeholders and shareholders alike and helps readers identify ways in which they can mitigate the negative effects of organisational gaming.
Whenever I speak to groups about Gaming the System, I am told that people recognise this behaviour in their organisations, and believe that they cannot do anything about it. I would encourage anyone who wants his or her organisation to break through and become more effective to read this book...and to learn how to create sustainable futures.
James B. Rieley, Celerant Consulting, London, james.rieley@celerant.cc
About the Author
James B. Rieley, Ph.D. is the Vice President for Leadership Development for Cambridge Management Consulting. Prior to coming to Cambridge, he was a senior manager of the Business Decision Innovations Group in Arthur Andersen's Business Consulting division where he worked facilitating effective organisational change. Previously, he directed The Center for Continuous Quality Improvement at Milwaukee Area Technical College where, through the Office of the President, he was responsible for the internal quality improvement process at the college, the college's Systems Thinking/Organisational Learning efforts, and was the architect and facilitator of the strategic planning process. In conjunction with the WorkForce Development Division of MATC, he consulted with business and industry, government, and educational institutions who have identified the importance of becoming more effective in meeting the needs of their customers.
Rieley, who has a doctorate degree in Organisational Effectiveness, additionally has a B.S. in Business Administration, and was the president of a successful plastics manufacturing company for over 20 years. After selling his company in 1987, he began to work with organisations in the area of innovation and business organisation. In 1990 he accepted an offer to come to MATC to develop the concept that became The Center for Continuous Quality Improvement.
In 1997, he accepted an offer to join the Knowledge Services Competency Cente
Rieley, who has a doctorate degree in Organisational Effectiveness, additionally has a B.S. in Business Administration, and was the president of a successful plastics manufacturing company for over 20 years. After selling his company in 1987, he began to work with organisations in the area of innovation and business organisation. In 1990 he accepted an offer to come to MATC to develop the concept that became The Center for Continuous Quality Improvement.
In 1997, he accepted an offer to join the Knowledge Services Competency Cente
