We Must Rescue ‘Win-Win’ From Its Buzzword Status

When work is distributed over time and geography, no executive has a complete picture of unfolding events, and he or she may never have it — at least not on a timely basis. This challenge has its roots in the very structure of an organizational network: As the number of network nodes rises linearly, the number of possible interactions among them explodes. Moreover, the possible interactions among network partners can take three forms: flow of information, flow of goods or services, or flow of money. While links between any two network nodes may not involve all three types of interaction, a lot can happen simultaneously that is beyond the visibility or control of any single executive.

I make this point in my executive education classes by telling the story of a manager in a global company who made a highly consequential — and incorrect — decision about the timing and quantity of product flow. She came to the wrong decision because she hadn’t been privy to changes in money flow among network members with whom she had no contact. (A topic for another day: How should this manager’s performance be evaluated?)