Sometimes the drive for profits gets reduced to numbers. However, while in the short run meeting targets may be fulfilling, the pursuit of numbers often leads to competitive behaviours which undermine the long term viability of the organisation. Using frameworks from approaches such as the viable systems model, the course works with organisational managers to find creative and innovative means of doing business sustainably. The course includes a systemic approach to the issue of sustainability which moves beyond simply talking about ‘green issues’ to also finding ways of taking care of the context while remaining profitable. Sustainability then becomes a key competitive advantage for the business entity.

The public sector is the part of the economy that is about providing government services. Many of the people working in this sector experience great frustration. On one hand they are confronted with the ever growing needs of the communities they seek to serve and on the other hand, they struggle with the levels of bureaucracy and red tape in government departments. Systems thinking approaches for this sector entail working with managers to identify and remove waste and to work in ways that enable the delivery of services efficiently and effectively. Our course is facilitated by people who have vast experience as public sector managers as also as researchers in the same field. The course is accompanied by one on one coaching providing a resourceful companion for each participant thus assisting with effective implementation in the work place.

In a world of rapid and often drastic change, how change processes are managed is critical to the success of the organisation.

The business world today is in constant and rapid change. As a result, the success and viability of any company is dependent on the ability of its managers to learn and to respond to the changing environment. In the words of Revan, ‘for an organisation to remain viable the rate of learning internally must be equal to or greater than the rate of change in its context’. Revan alludes to the well concept of the need for requisite variety within organisations.

Managers who are often skilled in technical fields find themselves quite challenged by the ever increasing rate of complexity and demands when dealing with the softer people issues. Unfortunately though, classical management approaches have tended to be rather linear and do not provide the skills to manage complexity that arises when dealing with the unpredictable human factor. Yet it is this human factor that often determines the success and viability of companies. Managing effectively in an ever changing context requires a different way of thinking. It is here that insights from the field of systems thinking provide a helpful angle to managers, enabling them not only to manage the obvious rational processes but importantly to understand the emotive elements that accompany change. Systems thinking also equip managers with the ability to see the interconnected nature of society and organisations and to factor this in their business efforts. It is vital to equip the managers with the skills to think systemically as well as with some tools to enable them better understand and manage the complex situations that confront them in a way that leads to high organisational performance.