Here be Dragons was written in response to requests from readers of
Beyond Crisis (John Wiley, 2010), which introduced the "Cycle of
Renewal". Readers wanted to know what the Cycle of Renewal looked like
"on the ground"; how would you get started? How would you decide which
tools to use? Who would do the work? What would it look like on a daily
basis? And, most importantly, what impact would you see on business
performance? Here be Dragons addresses these questions in two ways. The
first, The Columbus Project, describes the journey taken by a fictional
organisation (FutureParts Vehicle Supplies) which was set the challenge
of renewing itself. The staff of FutureParts are entirely fictional, but
they represent some of the characters and organisational structures that
form the context for change in many organisations. The story illustrates
some of the common hurdles and tools, so that business leaders may
recognise some of the characteristics of what works and what does not as
they spearhead organisational change. The second part of the book is a
Pilot's Guide to the tools which the Columbus Project used to help the
business renew itself. The tools are designed to enhance the ability to
think long term while being effective in the short term - balancing the
paradoxes leaders face on a daily basis. Both parts focus pragmatically
on why each tool should be used, when and how they should be used,
together with the results to expect and how each fits into the Cycle of
Renewal.
