The shift from industrial to post-industrial management thinking

The way we work has changed, and more changes are coming. Knowledge work is critical to value creation, and the U.S. alone has 100 million knowledge workers. More than half of them are working hybrid. In addition to the decentralization of work, which accelerated during the Covid-19 lockdowns, Artificial Intelligence is poised to have a huge impact on knowledge work.

Almost all knowledge work will be infused with AI, greatly boosting productivity and creativity. The R&D productivity gained from AI will make it unthinkable for it not to be part of an organization’s New Product Development Process. Every function of the enterprise will leverage AI, and organizations slow to adapt will have a severe competitive disadvantage.

The emerging post-industrial work landscape is one of dynamic networks of human workers, robots, and AI Agents. These networks will span organizational boundaries, and AIs will be used to improve the planning and coordination of work. We will soon see largely autonomous micro-organizations, largely run by AIs, with some human oversight.

Industrial-era management models were never intended for the circumstances we are now facing. This poses a challenge for enterprises that are already facing technology disruption. AI will make it even easier for outsiders with more modern management models to disrupt mature enterprises.

Our advisory work is focused on organizational transformation and the transition from industrial to post-industrial management methods.

Organizational Assessments

With increasing pressure to evolve faster, virtually every organization today is engaged in some type of transformation effort. The emergence of Generative AI and the decentralization of work has made this even more urgent. However, organizational transformation has a 70% failure rate, and senior executives have an existing organization to run. The Post-Industrial Institute brings valuable experience and tools to the table.

Industry Assessments

Mature industries are often ripe for radical rethinking. We examine the major forces acting on an industry, including new technologies, business models, and decentralization. We then pinpoint opportunities for disruptive innovation.

Futures Exploration

Through a series of online or in-person workshops, we explore potential futures for an enterprise. This can be done in the face of a crisis, or when the leadership is proactively reinventing the business.

Transformation Engineering

In collaboration with senior management, we develop and help execute an accelerated transformation strategy. As part of this effort, we can also help build a Higher-Order Organization. A Higher-Order Organization combines talent, capital, technology, and partnerships to build a portfolio of new ventures.