The Foresight of Charles Handy
A management thinker who foresaw things coming much before they actually happened.
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Charles Handy’s Legacy of Ideas
Charles Handy, an Irish author and philosopher who specialised in organisational behaviour and management, passed away in mid of December 2024 at the age of 92. While it marks the end of an era in management thinking, his ideas remain relevant as ever. Through his work and books, Handy reshaped how we think about organizations, careers, and purpose in a modern world.
What’s fascinating is he saw things coming much before they actually happened. His concept of a Shamrock organization is an example - in early 1990’s, he foresaw the rise of flexible workforces dividing organizations into core team, outsourced specialists and temporary workers. The concept later evolved into what we call “the gig economy” today.
His concept of a “portfolio career” urged individuals to embrace more diverse and fulfilling work experiences rather than confining themselves to a single career path.
For me, a concept that resonated the most was that of the Sigmoid Curve - a curve of learning that begins with a period of investment and struggle, followed by growth and eventual decline. Charles Handy’s suggested that individuals should reinvent themselves and start new learning curves before reaching the peak. By starting a new learning curve while still thriving, individuals (and organizatons) can ensure sustained growth and relevance over a long period of time.
When I first read about the S-Curve of reinventing the self, I felt empowered to shape my work and carve a niche by blending diverse yet related skills.
Here is a quick summary of Charles Handy’s ideas that shaped the world of work:
Reinventing Yourself in Disruptive Times
During COVID19 pandemic, I read a very interesting HBR article by Herminia Ibarra who is Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. The article was titled “Reinventing Your Career in the time of Corona Virus”
Here is a sketchnote summary of those ideas, that I feel, build on the legacy of great ideas by Charles Handy.
From My Journal: The Fresh Start Effect
The fresh start effect, defined by Katie Milkman, is the reason why we plan or initiate improvement actions at the beginning of New Year, new month or a new week. A sense of new beginning and reset motivates us.
To ensure that this momentum around self-improvement is sustained :
Focus on building habits rather than focusing on outcomes.
Make small adjustments rather than committing to big changes that are not sustainable.
Build an environment that sustains change rather than acting in isolation.
Journal your way into new habits, make time to review periodically
Just a few tips to start with. What will you add?
That’s it for this edition. Thank you for subscribing and reading.
Wishing you a glorious 2025!
I love this article. I came across Whitney Johnson‘s version of the S-Curve in Disrupt Yourself a few years ago, and I‘m intrigued to reread it and research the parallels. Thank you for your visual inspirations, too.