The Root Cause: Rethink Your Approach to Solving Stubborn Enterprise-Wide Problems

“Impeccably researched and astoundingly insightful, The Root Cause reveals how to go from ‘putting out fires’ to finding true, lasting solutions . . . A must-read guide for executives and leaders at any stage of their career!” -Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 Leadership Thinker and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Triggers Businesses—large and small—have their day-to-day operations disrupted by new and unforeseen circumstances. Typically, these disruptions manifest themselves in many forms, such as disappointing top-line results, low employee engagement, the war for talent, a lack of creativity and innovation, eroding profit margins, price wars, fraud, and ethics violations. Such unintended and unwanted effects are mere symptoms of a dysfunctional business system. That means their root causes are inherent to that system’s design, structure, or organization, implementation or operation, maintenance, and management, which are all exclusive executive responsibilities. Until executives adapt and adjust their business systems accordingly, these problems will keep recurring-prompting the erroneous belief they are without solution. In this groundbreaking guide, change-management consultant Hans Norden challenges you to rethink your approach to solving stubborn enterprise-wide problems by demonstrating that real solutions are in fact readily available. Rather than prescribing HOW to solve a dysfunctional system’s countless symptoms, he describes WHY systemic problems occur and keep manifesting in one form or another. Once you understand the principles that explain and predict the outcome of your decision-making process, you will forge ahead with purpose and confidence, feeling empowered to solve stubborn systemic problems with authentic and lasting solutions. You’ll gain expert invaluable insight into: Why change initiatives require a form of leadership different from routine operations. Why diagnosing systemic problems makes all the difference in the successful outcome of change management initiatives, including changing strategic direction. Why recognizing behavioral patterns-such as human error-prevents unnecessary friction and conflict, and enhances business performance. Why growing bottom-line results tends to erode a business system’s sustainable performance. Why developing a business system’s capability and capacity enhances its sustainable performance. Why neither people nor technology can outperform a business system’s capability and capacity. Why the existence of net profits doesn’t necessarily constitute success—and vice versa. Whether you’ve been running your organization for years or you’re an up-and-coming C-suite leader, a trusted advisor or financier, with The Root Cause, you have everything you need to help create and deliver authentic solutions to drive sustainable success for years to come.