Betsy’s Comments (group member since Nov 01, 2011)

Betsy’s comments from the Making the World Work Better: Q&A with authors and editor group.

Mike: As the editor (and IBMer), how did working with three seasoned journalists on this project influence your thinking?

You've written extensively about IBM for decades. What is the most surprising thing you learned from your research for this project?

You open your chapter describing Mike May's incredible journey from blindness to sight. What did you learn from Mike that wasn't covered in his book?

Do you have a favorite story or anecdote that didn't make it into the book?

Many of the individuals interviewed in this chapter
consider themselves “systems thinkers.” They
recognize patterns among seemingly disparate
situations and follow the seeing, mapping,
understanding, believing and acting path
repeatedly. They enjoy the thrill of mastering a
complex problem. Can systems thinking be
taught? What tools or technologies might help?

The story of IBM spans the entire history of
information technology. What technology has had
the most profound impact on your life? Why?

Steve Hamm describes the unusual way Making the World Work Better came together and what he learned from the experience: http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2011/0...

Add questions for Jeff O'Brien to this thread.

Add questions for Kevin Maney to this thread. Kevin Maney

Add questions for Steve Hamm to this thread.

Until the modern corporation and management
science emerged in the 20th century, most
companies were shaped and ruled by the
personalities of their founders or charismatic
leaders. How important do you think founders are
—and how important should they be? Do you
believe it’s important for organizations to adopt a
shared set of values that guide all employees no
matter who is in charge? If so, how should those
values be decided?

In a simple sense, this is a book about progress—
which the authors define as making the world work
better. What does progress mean to you?