Excerpts

Preface No idea has had as much effect on the professional and personal lives of the first two authors of this book as idealized design. It has influenced everything we do in our professional lives--for one of us, as a former professor now emeritus, and the other, head of a staff unit at GlaxoSmithKline. In every case described in this volume, one or the other of us, or both, were directly involved. What is idealized design? The answer is in the Introduction, in which we explain not only what idealized design is but also describe its extraordinary origin as a powerful tool of management. The cases presented here constitute only a small sample of the cases on which we have had the opportunity to employ idealized design. We have tried to select as diverse a group of applications as possible to reveal how broad is the applicability of the process. We have never been confronted with a problem or opportunity to which idealized design has not been applicable. In a sense, idealized design has been much more than a way of doing our work; it has been a way of life. There is little either one of us is called in to do that is not affected by the use of idealized design. There is no limit to its relevance where problems or opportunities are involved. Idealized design has been described in a number of books but never in as much detail or with as many illustrations as we provide here. Unfortunately, words cannot convey the power of the procedure nearly as well as experiencing it. We hope that the vicarious experiences we provide here will entice the readers to explore the process on their own. Involvement in the process is a liberating experience. Moreover, it is fun. It provides an opportunity to reactivate the creativity we had as children but loston the "way up." It is a "soft idea" that lends itself to fashioning to suit specific situations. It is not a process cast in concrete. It involves at least as much art as science. About the Authors and the "Authors' Voice" This book has three authors who have contributed differently to it. Russell L. Ackoff is the central figure in the development of idealized design. Not only did he initially grasp the potential of the process to revolutionize how organizations can change today to better shape the future, but he has also been the leading thinker in developing the way the process is implemented in the real world of organizations that we describe in this book. Jason Magidson was a long-time student and colleague of Ackoff's and participated in many idealized designs before he joined a major pharmaceutical firm. In his present position, he continues to use the process in a variety of applications. He has contributed examples of idealized design to the book, as well as helped to shape the advice we provide to managers about how to begin and implement the process. Herbert J. Addison has spent his career in book publishing, with the past two decades devoted mainly to publishing books in business and management for practicing managers, business academics, and business students. His contribution is confined to helping to shape the final book for its intended readership of practicing managers. Inevitably, when a book has more than one author, there will be a blurring of what is often called the "author's voice." The book you hold in your hands does not reflect the distinct voice of any one of its three authors--least of all the voice of Russell L. Ackoff. Thus it can be said to have an "authors' voice" that is a blend of the three. But there is one exception. In Chapter 1, "The Stages of Idealized Design," Ackoff steps forward and describes in his own distinctive voice how he first experienced idealized design--including mistakes he made and the amazing outcome of the experience. His co-authors recommend that you read one or more of Ackoff's books listed in the Annotated Bibliography for a full experience of the authentic Ackoff voice. Russell L. Ackoff Jason Magidson Herbert J. Addison January 3, 2006 (c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Idealized Design: Creating an Organization's Future by Jason Magidson, Herbert J. Addison, Russell Lincoln Ackoff All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.