The document discusses how the rules for running businesses, organizations, and governments successfully changed around 15 years ago at "midnight" without most people noticing. It argues that three dynamic forces - the pace of change, scale of everything, and human interaction density - have overwhelmed the "sticky glue" of inertia and tradition. As a result, the ability to learn and change must now accelerate to keep up with the pace of change in this new world. It then provides 12 new rules for surviving and thriving in this changed landscape.

1. Welcome to the W orld A fter M idnight Welcome to the WorldAfterMidnight

2. About fifteen years ago all the Rules about how to run a business, organisation or government successfully, were changed or deleted and a completely new set of Rules has been in operation ever since…

3. Did you notice? Probably NOT!

4. Because it happened at MIDNIGHT while you were asleep – so you didn’t notice and have carried on the same way but your thoughts and actions don’t give you the same results as before…

5. Answer me a difficult question…

6. Which of the following two horizontal lines is longer? The top one or the bottom one?

8. … your answer is …?

9. They are NOT both the SAME NO

10. The top line is 10% than the bottom line… longer

11. So why did you think they were the same length?

12. Because when you were a child you saw a similar puzzle used to explain parallax. In that problem the lines were the same length…

13. And you learnt the ‘correct answer’ and remembered it for years, for decades up until today… You remembered it because you, like most of us, believe that ‘correct answers’ do not have a shelf-life and last forever…

14. But your ‘correct answer’ is now wrong…

15. … because I’ve Changed it! Changed

16. I’ve Changed the puzzle … Changed

17. … and that is what has happened to the world in the 21 st Century… Somebody or something has Changed the puzzle … Changed

18. WorldAfterMidnight W orld A fter M idnight

19. Isn’t it strange how:

20. In spite of over 90,000 books on creativity on amazon and google returning over 5.6 million hits if you type in: innovation + creativity + consultant less than 1 in 100,000 ideas is found making money and delivering benefits over two years after ‘launch’…

21. In spite of over 90,000 books on creativity on amazon and google returning over 5.6 million hits if you type in: innovation + creativity + consultant less than 1 in 100,000 ideas is found making money and delivering benefits over two years after ‘launch’…

22. In the 2008 banking crisis Paulson’s first three-page proposal to spend $700 billion on a rescue plan for the banks was not passed by the US Senate. Later that week a 400 page version was passed by the Senate. It seems that Paulson had forgotten to write the last 397 pages of the plan*… * Jean Francios Rischard

23. In the 2008 banking crisis Paulson’s first three-page proposal to spend $700 billion on a rescue plan for the banks was not passed by the US Senate. Later that week a 400 page version was passed by the Senate. It seems that Paulson had forgotten to write the last 397 pages of the plan*… * Jean Francios Rischard

24. In 2004 the price of a barrel of oil was ~$30 and was projected to rise to no more than ~$35 by the end of the decade. By the end of the year to the surprise of most ‘ experts ’ the price was nudging ~$100. It peaked at ~ $140 and then fell to ~$90 within two months – all this volatility happened inspite of over 40 years of proven reserves…

25. In 2004 the price of a barrel of oil was ~$30 and was projected to rise to no more than ~$35 by the end of the decade. By the end of the year to the surprise of most ‘ experts ’ the price was nudging ~$100. It peaked at ~ $140 and then fell to ~$90 within two months – all this volatility happened inspite of over 40 years of proven reserves…

26. A 2008 survey of 1000 companies showed that their budgets, carefully prepared over an approximately three month period, were obsolete or needed changes prior to being published widely in the organisation…

27. A 2008 survey of 1000 companies showed that their budgets, carefully prepared over an approximately three month period, were obsolete or needed changes prior to being published widely in the organisation…

28. A study on change and project success by Oracle* compared the average project to “a family of five going on holiday from London to New York at a cost of £ 1,200”. It concluded that in the average project, “the family actually ended up in Quito, Ecuador, at a cost of £ 1,716 whilst leaving two of the children behind at home”… *Peter Sparrow

29. A study on change and project success by Oracle* compared the average project to “a family of five going on holiday from London to New York at a cost of £ 1,200”. It concluded that in the average project, “the family actually ended up in Quito, Ecuador, at a cost of £ 1,716 whilst leaving two of the children behind at home”… *Peter Sparrow

30. In November 2008 The EU countries abandoned a plan to “balance their budgets by 2010”. The deadline was moved to the less definite ‘medium term’. Surprisingly they had only adopted the plan in April 2007 – So even short term planning has become long term planning…

31. In November 2008 The EU countries abandoned a plan to “balance their budgets by 2010”. The deadline was moved to the less definite ‘medium term’. Surprisingly they had only adopted the plan in April 2007 – So even short term planning has become long term planning…

32. WorldAfterMidnight W orld A fter M idnight

33. What is going on?

34. Events evaporate but bigger patterns persist* You can’t see the bigger pattern by studying the minutiae of the events… * Eddie Obeng

35. In the new pattern, the old Rules have been obliterated by three Dynamic forces which have overwhelmed the Inertia…

36. The battle is between:

37. Hierarchies and reporting lines which control from the top, so nothing random can happen… Cultures , processes and systems which are not built with the ‘user’ in mind and rarely modernised… Laws , regulations , policies and concepts which are added but never updated or removed even when they are past their ‘sell-by’ date…

38. Hierarchies and reporting lines which control from the top, so nothing random can happen… Cultures , processes and systems which are not built with the ‘user’ in mind and rarely modernised… Laws , regulations , policies and concepts which are added but never updated or removed even when they are past their ‘sell-by’ date…

39. Let’s call this… The Sticky 'Glue' of Inertia & Tradition Sticky Glue

40. A Dynamic Trio … and… Dynamic Dynamic Dynamic

41. There are as many people alive today as have ever lived and the number of humans on the planet is increasing faster than exponentially… More than half of them live closely in cities… Over 40% of them have daily access to ‘cyberspace’ through radio, TV, phone and internet and can respond instantly to global events and trends…

42. There are as many people alive today as have ever lived and the number of humans on the planet is increasing faster than exponentially… More than half of them live closely in cities… Over 40% of them have daily access to ‘cyberspace’ through radio, TV, phone and internet and can respond instantly to global events and trends…

43. Dynamic Force Human Interaction Density Let’s call this… 1

44. Cyberspace drives everything along at the speed of light . Technology enables faster and more productive activity… Every business, organisation, governmental body, third sector organisation is proactively seeking change… Because Share P rice = E arnings x G rowth Capitalism drives ever upward on the quest for growth…

45. Cyberspace drives everything along at the speed of light . Technology enables faster and more productive activity… Every business, organisation, governmental body, third sector organisation is proactively seeking change… Because Share P rice = E arnings x G rowth Capitalism drives ever upward on the quest for growth…

46. Dynamic Force The Pace and Speed of Change Let’s call this… 2

47. With the internet even a ‘desk under the stairs’ is the HQ of a global business - The scale of business is not its size … Food prices rise in Kenya because America plants bio-fuel crops - Supply chains are l o n g, convoluted and global… Cutting down the Amazon rain forest accelerates global warming - Armageddon for all. So the rest of the world wants to ‘interfere’…

48. With the internet even a ‘desk under the stairs’ is the HQ of a global business - The scale of business is not its size … Food prices rise in Kenya because America plants bio-fuel crops - Supply chains are l o n g, convoluted and global… Cutting down the Amazon rain forest accelerates global warming - Armageddon for all. So the rest of the world wants to ‘interfere’…

49. Dynamic Force The Scale of Everything Let’s call this… 3

50. When the Sticky ‘Glue’ of Inertia and Tradition wins… If you play ‘Poohsticks’* in a stream it’s predictable. If you put your stick on the left it flows down the left hand side… * Winnie the Pooh A. A. Milne

51. That’s because the Dynamic Trio are winning… If you play ‘Poohsticks’ in a turbulent torrent you can’t predict where the stick will go. But you do know it will probably go downstream…

52. Over the past couple of decades the ‘balance of power’ between the forces has shifted decisively - creating a new pattern…

53. WorldAfterMidnight W orld A fter M idnight

54. 1 2 The PAST NOW 3 Sticky Glue So it starts off almost flat & straight...

55. 1 2 3 Sticky Glue The PAST NOW … and then starts to curve upwards…

56. 1 2 3 Sticky Glue The PAST NOW … and even further upwards…

57. Do you remember the days of ‘correct answers’? To have correct answers means we can study and learn about something faster than it changes… …and we could…

58. 1 2 3 Sticky Glue The PAST NOW Our Rate of Learning Pace of Change around Us

59. But what has happened to our ability to learn and change over the decades? - Has it led the change in the world? - Has it kept pace? - Has it fallen behind ?

60. Do you live in an organisational hierarchy where you can’t move faster than the monthly meeting or quarterly budget cycle and can only work on what your boss approves or fits in the strategy ?

61. Do you work in a market which believes in ‘ cycles ’ and so you only act long after it is obvious that the cycle is broken ?

62. Does your Government talk about ‘ annual spending plans’? Do they govern by setting policy? Are many of the policies in conflict with each other? Do the Laws they pass have a ‘valid-until’ date?

63. Do you work in an organisation which ‘benchmarks’ against other organisations just like them and has little curiosity of what is happening in other industries or organisations? Where people often use the expression, “but in the real world…” in order to justify their narrow mindedness?

64. If you do, then learning and improvement will suffer. You, your organisation or your country will find it tough to accelerate learning and improvement inspite of all the opportunities of technology, information and connectedness…

65. 1 2 3 Sticky Glue The PAST NOW Our Rate of Learning Pace of Change around Us

66. The PAST NOW When the lines crossed over the rules for success were rewritten… . Our Rate of Learning Pace of Change around Us

67. The PAST NOW When the lines crossed over the rules for success were rewritten… . … that was MIDNIGHT

68. About fifteen years ago all the Rules about how to run a business, organisation or government successfully, were changed or deleted and a completely new set of Rules has been in operation ever since…

69. The PAST NOW In the OLD WORLD Predictable & Cartesian Forecasts Command & Control Strategy Customer More of the same Growth Hierarchy Market Share Management Best Practice Efficiency Economies of Scale Barriers to Entry Wealth=Money=Value Towns & Cities In the NEW WORLD Ambiguous and Chaotic Learning Self-Directed Teams/ Networks Business Model Stakeholder Innovation Sustainability Virtual Organisations/Teams Promoters & Communities Leadership first Design Effectiveness & Differentiation Evolve, Dominate or Die Disruptive Technology Wealth isn’t Money isn’t Value Social Networks

70. The PAST NOW In the OLD WORLD Predictable & Cartesian Forecasts Command & Control Strategy Customer More of the same Growth Hierarchy Market Share Management Best Practice Efficiency Economies of Scale Barriers to Entry Wealth=Money=Value Towns & Cities In the NEW WORLD Ambiguous and Chaotic Learning Self-Directed Teams/ Networks Business Model Stakeholder Innovation Sustainability Virtual Organisations/Teams Promoters & Communities Leadership first Design Effectiveness & Differentiation Evolve, Dominate or Die Disruptive Technology Wealth isn’t Money isn’t Value Social Networks

71. You can’t see the bigger pattern by studying the minutiae of the events… Events evaporate but bigger patterns persist* * Eddie Obeng

72. WorldAfterMidnight W orld A fter M idnight

73. So how do you Survive in our New Real World ?

74. So how do you Thrive in our New Real World ?

76. We’ve found 12 new Rules…

77. 1. Say AND not OR! Is your solution integrative? 2. Assume Fair=Different not Fair=Equal Does your solution recognise the need to tailor actions to meet different populations/ needs? 3. Change DEPENDENCE to INTERDEPENDENCE Is your solution capable of self governance? 4. Do NOTHING of NO use! Is your solution designed to ensure focus on delivering to your goal of making money (delivering benefit to society)? 5. Stakeholders rule OK! Is your solution designed around the people who have to deliver it and live with the results? 6. Make time fit! To what extent have you made scoped your solution to the possible rather than the nice-to-have impossible? 7. CHUNK IT OR JUNK IT!’ Have you reduced the scope to de-risk your solution appropriately? 8. ALL CONSTRAINTS INTO MEAT SPACE Have you ensured that your solution appropriately uses new technologies? 9. Unlearn EVERYTHING ! Have you ensured that your solution appropriately uses new knowledge? 10. Don’t change anything ! Have you taken into account the overall impact of change on your ability to deliver results? 11. LOOP IT UP! Is your solution self-sustaining? 12. Go VIRTUAL! Have you developed a solution with powerful results where the effect is more important than the form? Where technology enables beyond tradition? Ours are…

78. 1. Say AND not OR! Is your solution integrative? 2. Assume Fair=Different not Fair=Equal Does your solution recognise the need to tailor actions to meet different populations/ needs? 3. Change DEPENDENCE to INTERDEPENDENCE Is your solution capable of self governance? 4. Do NOTHING of NO use! Is your solution designed to ensure focus on delivering to your goal of making money (delivering benefit to society)? 5. Stakeholders rule OK! Is your solution designed around the people who have to deliver it and live with the results? 6. Make time fit! To what extent have you made scoped your solution to the possible rather than the nice-to-have impossible? 7. CHUNK IT OR JUNK IT!’ Have you reduced the scope to de-risk your solution appropriately? 8. ALL CONSTRAINTS INTO MEAT SPACE Have you ensured that your solution appropriately uses new technologies? 9. Unlearn EVERYTHING ! Have you ensured that your solution appropriately uses new knowledge? 10. Don’t change anything ! Have you taken into account the overall impact of change on your ability to deliver results? 11. LOOP IT UP! Is your solution self-sustaining? 12. Go VIRTUAL! Have you developed a solution with powerful results where the effect is more important than the form? Where technology enables beyond tradition? Ours are…

79. What have YOU found? Let’s share…

80. Welcome to the W orld A fter M idnight Welcome to the WorldAfterMidnight

81. Let’s talk…

82. World After Midnight .com Produced by PentacleTheVBS.com With thanks to Eddie Obeng author of New Rules for a New World

83. World After Midnight .com Produced by PentacleTheVBS.com With thanks to Eddie Obeng author of New Rules for a New World