Alex
@alex
Alex
@alex
It had all the characteristics of the bank card mess of the late sixties. The internal strife was immense, pitting one segment of the industry with another in constant conflict for dominance. Each segment had messiahs preaching one gospel or another--governmental monopoly, unrestrained competition, state regulation, vertical integration,
... See moreCould such an organization be patterned on biological concepts and methods? [...] What if we quit arguing about the structure of a new institution and tried to think of it as having some sort of genetic code?
the need to rely entirely on the power of purpose, principles, and people was what brought Visa into being. It was no stroke of genius. It was plain old necessity.
The instinctive response is that one's time will be consumed managing self, superiors and peers. There will be little or no time left to manage subordinates. Exactly!
Understanding events and influencing the future requires mastering of four ways of looking at things: as they were, as they are, as they might become, and as they ought to be.
I could think of no way to fully realize the concept by including merchants and cardholders as owner/members. The slightest hint in that direction raised a storm of opposition. We should have included them. Perhaps, with more time, tenacity, and ingenuity, we could have.
At such times, it is no failure to fall short of realizing all that we might dream: The failure is to fall short of dreaming all that we might realize. We must try!
No part knew the whole, the whole did not know all the parts, and none had any need to.
Educed behavior is the essence of leader/follower. Compelled behavior is the essence of all the others.