When Henry Ford introduced the modern assembly line in 1908, he revolutionised the world of business in a single stroke. It was a bold new concept: a line of workers, arranged in step-by-step sequence, each with a clearly defined task in a predictable and logical order. Every new Model T rolling off the line was an efficient, exact duplicate of the previous one. No changes. No surprises.
In the 100 years since, most of the assumptions underlying this reliable model of production—and human productivity—have evaporated. Today, both process and product are subject to constant change. With breathtakingly short product life cycles, rapid technological advances, and blurry geographic and competitive boundaries, today's workforce needs to be nimble and infinitely adaptable.
It's no surprise, then, that today's global organisations are finding it challenging to create—and keep—a truly winning team. In an environment where everything's a moving target, how are effective organisations managing their people?
