Books

Dr. Rick Nason: Rethinking Risk Management – Critically Examining Old Ideas and New Concepts

January 29, 2019 rbudd Leave a Comment

“Did you just groan at the thought of opening another book on risk management? Like election cycles, media talk about celebrity hairdos and cute cat videos trending on social media; perhaps, the least interesting thing might be another book on risk management. However, you got past the first two sentences, so possibly you believe there is something still needed in risk management thinking that is keeping your going”
Dr. Rick Nason: Rethinking Risk Management: Critically Examining Old Ideas and New Concepts
(Kindle loc 66 of 2238)

Dr. Rick Nason: Rethinking Risk Management: Critically Examining Old Ideas and New Concepts

CEGE Connection is excited to launch Dr. Rick Nason’s latest book, Rethinking Risk Management: Critically Examining Old Ideas and New Concepts, which is available in Kindle and paperback format. The Introduction is concise and to the point: Another Book on Risk Management! Those words alone prompt an innate curiosity to read a few more sentences, then a page and before long readers find they are captured by Dr. Nason’s insightful discussion that challenges them to revisit their current understanding of risk management.

The book is structured as a series of questions, the first one being “What is Risk?” The running theme throughout the book’s 150 pages is that risk management is essential and adds value to all organizations, whether public, private or not-for profit.

While “Rethinking Risk Management” is intended for senior managers, directors, risk managers, and students of risk management, I found strategies and insights that were relevant in my personal daily interactions. We live in a world of complexity where risk is ever-present and must be understood as well as managed.

Rebecca Budd
CEGE Connection Editor & Blog Coordinator

The following excerpt is taken from Rethinking Risk Management: Critically Examining Old Ideas and New Concepts, Kindle Edition, Location 96 Location 102 Location 110 of 2238

Dr. Rick Nason

What is risk? Perhaps, the question is trivial, but in workshops I have conducted, I get a wide variety of responses, and often, a passionate debate will break out among the participants. Apparently, the answer to the simple question of “what is risk?” is not so simple. Of course, this leads to a follow-up question of what is risk management? Another simple question that proves to have a not-so-simple answer—or at least not simple when you hear managers try to explain what risk management is. The physicist Richard Feynman supposedly once claimed that if you cannot explain what you do to someone in grade six, then you do not know what you are talking about. How much of risk management can be explained to a preteenager in grade six much less the managers or even the board of directors of an organization?

It is often only by going back to first principles, or a clean sheet of paper, that one can again make things simple again, and provide the clarity that is needed to develop more productive and effective paths forward. Asking two simple questions of what risk is and what risk management is helps to start us off on that process. How often does someone in your organization question the reasoning behind a certain process? I suspect it is quite often, but they keep their questions to themselves without taking the risk of openly questioning and potentially exposing their lack of knowledge.

Perhaps, you are one of those doing the silent questioning. Generally, if someone actually does verbalize the question, rather than leaving it unspoken, there is frequently no response other than “We’ve always done it this way.” Not a very satisfying response! Progress is not based on always and unquestioningly doing things the way they have always been done. Sometimes, processes are based on assumptions that turn out to be false upon close examination. However, without questioning these assumptions or axioms, the situation will never improve, unless by some fortuitous accident, which is not a high-probability strategy. It becomes very easy to lose the plot of what the main objective is without an occasional pause to ask what the end goal is, and what the best path to get there is.

John A. Luchetti: Cover-to-Cover

March 20, 2018 rbudd 3 Comments

“In our family, books were more than a path to knowledge! They were period pieces that spoke to the culture and human spirit at a point in time. They were windows to the soul of the author.”

John A. Luchetti

John Luchetti MBA(FS) 2015

Books have always been an integral part of my family history. My grandfather had a library in his house in Italy with over 10,000 books. The oldest book I perused was printed in 1550. It was called Ciceronis Orationum. Unfortunately, this book, like most of the books in this collection, were lost to family politics. The only remaining books finding their way to Canada was a 1775 version of the same titled book, and a series of Jules Verne classics printed in the mid-to-late 1800s.

In our family, books were more than a path to knowledge! They were period pieces that spoke to the culture and human spirit at a point in time. They were windows to the soul of the author. They were springboards to new ideas, innovations, and inspirations. They made us think, laugh, cry, escape, and even ponder alternate realities through fantasy and science fiction. Books took us places, and led us through journeys not possible anywhere else.

In short, books stirred feeling in us that expanded our realm of possibilities, what could be more human than that?

On a trip to Rome in 2008, I fondly remember performing several very clumsy pirouettes in the center of the Roman Coliseum. It wasn’t the first time I was there, however, it was the first time I was on a trip where I felt absolutely insignificant. I marveled at the history of this place, the people that lived, worked, taught, learned, created, and died here throughout the ages.

John (white t-shirt) and his brother visiting their Grandfather’s library in Italy.

My mind was bombarded by the historical possibilities, the realities of lives lived, and lives lost in this time-weathered place. What stories are known? Which are unknown? What key learning has been brought forward through time? Have we missed more than what we know? And what will we never know? Forever lost to history.

The rush of information which permeated my senses as I stood in this place trying to recall what I knew about Ancient Rome was overwhelming. What experiences, hardships, heartaches, successes, failures have this place seen? I shivered with delight and shuddered with insignificance of my own mortality. I thought, how could I live multiple lives in one lifetime?

I remembered, decades earlier, when picking up Ciceronis Orationum. It was illegible, written wholly in Latin. Reading the book was not an option, however, I do remember saying: “Dad, I’m holding history. How many hands do you think touched this book? What kind of person would have read this book? What would they say of its content?”

My father was an intellect. He was very cerebral – logical and precise, I guess as a chemist, you need to be. He thought deeply about many things and one example he had hanging in his study which now hangs in mine, its origin is unknown to me.

The Message

English translation:

Here live men who have outlived themselves

Here they speak silently

Here they listen and remain quiet

Here they are interrogated and mute is there response

The feelings and the questions inspired by this old book so many years ago where similar to the feelings and thoughts I had standing in the Roman Coliseum.

This book inspired me to love books as did standing in the center of the coliseum in Rome inspired me to love a life of life-long learning. This was the impetus that led me to Dalhousie’s MBA(FS) program. A thirst for knowledge and experiences.

Having completed my MBA(FS) in 2015, and with some serious time on my hands, I have started to collect books, all kinds of books. I tend to shy away from digital books because there is no better feeling then immersing oneself in a book, flipping the pages, using a bookmark, and reading it cover-to-cover.

John A. Luchetti MBA(FS) 2015 is PMO Lead at TransUnion, specializing in project/program/portfolio management. His areas of expertise cover a broad spectrum from relationship management and cross functional team management, to negotiation, conflict resolution, and mediation. John has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CFAME Connection.

Photography Credit: John A. Luchetti

Dr. Rick Nason: What Are You Reading Now?

February 27, 2018 rbudd 2 Comments

What do you spend the most time at – work or play?

And by play, I mean an activity that serves no solemn purpose other than for pure enjoyment.

If you have left childhood behind to enter the sophisticated world of adults, I suspect you answered “work”.

What are you better at – work or play?

Alas, you most likely answered “work” because, given your answer above, you probably allotted your creative energies and prime time to developing your “work” skill-sets.

Think back.

Rick Nason

When was the last time you played with Legos or an Erector set (Meccano set for Canadians or Britains)?

When did you build something out of wood just for the heck of it – not because it was needed?

When was the last time you did math problems simply because it was fun to do so?

When was the last time you let your mind think about things for the sheer pleasure of thinking about things?

These questions came to me as I finished the wonderful biography of Claude Shannon by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman, titled “A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age”

While you may not recognize his name, Claude Shannon, has influenced your life in ways that you would never have imagined. Whenever you make a phone call, watch a streamed movie or send an email – or basically anything with digital information – a large share of the credit for these indispensable technologies goes to Claude Shannon.

Claude Shannon was a mathematician who worked at the famous Bell Labs. His ability to see problems in a new light were legendary. He virtually created the conceptual underpinnings that transformed analogue systems to digital, allowing us to watch our movies and communicate through our smart phones from anywhere, at any time.

Claude Shannon was legendary for his playing. Shannon used the uniquely relaxed and undemanding work atmosphere at Bell Labs to not necessarily work on the problems at hand. Rather, he would let his mind – and his body play. Although an extreme introvert, he was well known for juggling while unicycling down the narrow hallways of the Bell Labs complex. He liked to develop robots – including one to juggle – and perhaps is most famous for developing a robot mouse that could work its way through a maze to find a magnetic piece of cheese. He created an early computer playing chess device and fashioned a wide variety of bizarre unicycles. His house was filled with gadgets, many of which he built from his Erector set that his wife bought him as a Christmas gift.

You might ask why did Bell Labs allow this mathematician so much leeway?

One can only guess at the answer, but it may Bell Labs recognized Shannon’s play produced novel insights that changed the world and generated tremendous profits for their company. Make no mistake though – Shannon was not into playing for profit – he was a person of very modest expenditures and repeatedly turned down lucrative opportunities. Shannon was into play solely for the sake of play. He understood the obvious – playing is fun. The delightful unintended consequence when his mind was at play produced significant outcomes.

Claude Shannon demonstrates that play and success are not mutually exclusive, but in fact are likely highly correlated.

Now, you are probably sitting there with a stacked inbox and a set of looming work deadlines. You may be wistful, even slightly envious, that Shannon received compensation for engaging in juggling and unicycling. Indeed, it is a sad truth that few, if any, of us will get directly compensated for playing. However, no one controls your mind on your off-time.

Here is my challenge to you. Let your mind play.

Instead of watching a mindless TV show, turning to a computer game – including solitaire, or reading a formula-written pulp-fiction novel, go back in time and awaken your four-year-old brain. It’s time you had fun! It’s time you embraced play again!

Ask yourself the silliest question you can think of and then try to work your way through it – simply for the absolute delight of doing so. While you may not develop ideas as path-breaking as Claude Shannon did with his mind play, you will open yourself up to innovative opportunities.

Go play!

Dr. Rick Nason is an associate professor of finance in the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University. Rick’s research interests are enterprise risk management, complexity, financial crisis, financial risk assessment, derivatives and hedging strategies. His recent book, It’s Not Complicated, published in 2017 offers a paradigm shift for business professionals looking for simplified solutions to complex problems.

The Virtual Book Club: What are you reading now?

February 13, 2018 rbudd 2 Comments

Abbotsford House, The home of Sir Walter Scott. Scottish Borders, near Melrose, on the south bank of the River Tweed.

Abbotsford House, The home and library of Sir Walter Scott.
Scottish Borders, near Melrose, on the south bank of the River Tweed

Two millennia ago, Marcus Tullius Cicero declared that “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”

In the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway maintained, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

The narrative of humanity is recorded on the pages of books, whether in print or digital format. We turn to books because they challenge, motivate, entertain and educate. Best of all, they connect us in ways that circumvent the constraints of time and location. Which is why book clubs have become ubiquitous in our age of technology. After all, doesn’t everyone belong to a book club?

Welcome to CFAME Connection’s new column, “What are you reading now?” a result of a telephone discussion with Rick Nason a few months ago. We lead busy lives with full agendas and competing interests and responsibilities; reading often becomes relegated to in-between spaces of time. As Frank Zappa mused, “So many books, so little time.”

Books stimulate conversations, as demonstrated by the responses from CFAME Connection contributors:

Rick Atherton: I have two books on my desk, which are focused on Operational Excellence: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari and What To Do When Machines Do Everything by Malcolm Frank, Paul Roehrig, & Ben Pring

Michael Ford: I am balancing Dr. Rick Nason’s book It’s Not Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity for Business Success with a biography on Leonardo da Vinci.

John Luchetti: Since finishing my MBA in 2015, with no assignments, no required reading, no virtual classes to attend, no exams – what to do? I’ve been buying books. I have biographies to read from Alexander the Great to Elizabeth Smart – Clinton, Da Vinci, Jobs, Lama, Mandela, and Malala.

Steen Madsen: Currently I am reading an older science fiction book, Consider Phlebas: A Culture Novel by Iain M. Banks. I had heard that Elon Musk is a big fan of Iain Banks and used the book’s title as one of the names for his remote-landing-drones for the Falcon9 rocket-returns to earth. If you like science fiction, this is a must read. Very well written and the work holds up well through time.

Jim Spitali: Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time, by Jeffry Pfeffer. So far, it is an interesting read and highlights some of the myths of leadership. I also enjoy many Harvard Business Review articles. I find them quite insightful.

Yvonne Thevenot: I just finished reading The Millionaire Next Door Thomas J Stanley, William D Danko. A group of colleagues at work decided we would all read the same book and chat about it. While I would not have ever chosen this book to read myself, I enjoy the community sense of trying something new by tagging along with someone else’s suggestion. It takes me outside my comfort zone and exposes me to ideas and opportunities I would not have had otherwise. Now, that being said, I can’t say I found the book particularly engaging, but I did finish it, learned some interesting things, and had fun in sharing the ideas with my colleagues. The next book on my list is The Gift of Mentoring, by Doug Lawrence and Emily Hunter. I have had the privilege of meeting Doug through my mentoring certification and have a world of respect for what he is doing for the professionalization of mentoring and so am eager to see how his views and values are captured in print!

Binod Sundararajan: I am currently, slowly, plowing through a book called The Society of Mind, by Marvin Minsky. It is heavy reading, but it is brilliant.

Dr. Carolan McLarney: This past summer I read Tolstoy, Dante, Elizabeth George and Tom Robbins. My reading list has moved on to my Christmas gifts: The Art Thief (N. Chaney), The Economic Consequences of the Peace (J.M. Keynes), Finding Piglet (adapted from A.A. Milne), The History of Bees (M. Lunde) and In Memory’s Kitchen: A Legacy from the Women of Terezin (Berenbaum & Silva)

Dr. Rick Nason: To find out, stay tuned for the next post, on “What are you reading now?”

We invite you to join the conversation and share books that have inspired your journey.

Rebecca Budd
Blog Coordinator

P.S. I’ve been reading, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben and have discovered that trees communicate as communities. I continue to learn…

Michael Ford: Learn, Adapt, Change

October 3, 2017 rbudd 1 Comment

Michael Ford, Scotiabank Change Management Lead, Branch Transformation Implementation

Michael Ford MBA(FS), Scotiabank Change Management Lead, Branch Transformation Implementation, graduated in 2010. In a recent virtual interview with CFAME Connection, Michael Ford joined the discussion on life-long learning.

Michael Ford:

Choosing to pursue and MBA(FS) was by far the smartest educational and professional choice I have ever made. What I learned and the activity of learning, has shaped the way I adapt and engage.

Integrating life-long learning presented balance and scheduling challenges, however with the amazing support of my spouse and three young children who were then ages 14, 13 and 9, my academic journey was memorable and life-changing. During my MBA studies, I continued coaching my children in sports and remained involved in community activities, which included running a winter ice rink that needed flooding every evening in the winter. I have fond recollections of sitting in my truck, reading about accounting and statistics while waiting for the ice to freeze up for a second flooding. There were many nights of falling asleep on the couch while reading, waking up with a textbook in my lap; even more common, an espresso every night to extend my study time a bit more.

My son, who recently embarked on an MBA asked me how I had found time to study. My answer was simply you just find a way. The same can be applied to thriving and growing within a dynamic work environment. Be adaptable, think and plan ahead, and challenge yourself every day. Ask lots of question and listen well to truly understand. Make friends and connections, not because it looks good on a LinkedIn profile, but because surrounding yourself with great people is rewarding. Collaboration offers invaluable learning opportunities.

I agree with Rick Nason that “Emergence can be either intimidating or inspiring to the manager.” Our role, as current and future leaders, should include a commitment to lifelong learning so we are inspired by it, and we find ways to inspire others. Being able to embrace “weird…unpredictable…uncontrollable” experiences, to find new and creative ways to enhance and adapt businesses for long term success, is a key differentiator for any successful team. I am inspired by Rick’s book, “It’s Not Complicated, The Art and Science of Complexity in Business.” Rick describes “emergence” as a paradigm shift and learning is key to help us embrace it, be enlightened by it, and lead our own development, imagining what it might look like, nudging it along the way.

So, what comes next? Convincing senior leaders to envision and create an environment where it’s safe to abandon frameworks. Imagining how emergence will create transformative outcomes will set in motion a self-perpetuating cycle of unpredictable success. Sounds like a great deal of complexity…it’s not complicated…and that’s exciting.

I could not have imagined, as a graduate of the class of 2010, how differently I would feel and act as a result of the remarkable professors and students I had a chance to meet during my MBA journey. Even now, the connections, social interactions and experiences of those years continue to influence me, personally and professionally.

My next challenge may be another master’s degree in education. I had the privilege of teaching a course at Seneca College in the School of Accounting and Financial Services and absolutely loved the opportunity.

The future is bright; I cannot wait to experience what’s next as I continue to embrace the emergence.

The Influence of Life-Long Learning

September 26, 2017 rbudd Leave a Comment

6100 University Avenue

Rick Nason in “It’s Not Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity in Business” contends that in a modern business context, complexity appears in many places: cyber security, financial markets, economic turmoil, demographic shifts, social media activity, politics and marketing. Complexity is also present in the daily activities of managers as they manage their teams, their clients and even themselves. It is essential that we explore life-long learning to progress in our personal lives and career pathways.(Excerpt taken from It’s Not Complicated – The Art and Science of Complexity in Business Page Preface xi))

How does life-long learning influence our participation within an ever-changing, mercurial global world?

This question was given to CFAME Connection contributors: Shauna Wakeman and Rick Nason.

Blog Coordinator’s note: CFAME Connection is currently searching for ways to bring podcasts and video panel discussions to our blog. In the interim, please join the dialogue by adding your comments. We would love to hear from readers.

Shauna Wakeman:

Life-long learning has been a defining influence and, in many instances, has changed the trajectory of my personal and career objectives.

During my MBA studies, I found myself even more intrigued to branch out, learn more and apply my new skills. I accepted a new position as a senior consultant that required travelling away from home five days a week, venturing to new cities far from home each quarter. I would hop a plane and come to a new destination, on my own, renting a car and travelling through an unfamiliar area. These trips presented opportunities to meet and work with a new group of people. I found that my MBA learnings complemented my role as a teacher and mentor. I enjoyed sharing knowledge to help people who, in turn, increased their individual capacities.

Each quarter, when I shifted my attention to a new location, I would also begin a new course in my learning journey which would open my eyes to a new area of knowledge and a new approach at work.

Rick Nason:

Shauna describes the concept of the Renaissance person, a vital element required to cope within an increasingly connected world that is becoming more complex. The need for individuals whose knowledge and interests range across a variety of fields and disciplines is greater than ever.

Successful organization will be those that develop a Renaissance mindset. Organizations must actively promote diversity, not only of culture but also of mindsets, if they are to compete successfully in a complex environment. They must proactively train people in different knowledge and skills sets. They must recruit from a diversity of background and from different fields of knowledge. They must work to cross-train managers more than they are currently doing. The challenge of management lies in allowing diversity to function – tolerating and even welcoming differences; it is the only way that an organization can grow and learn.(Excerpt taken from It’s Not Complicated – The Art and Science of Complexity in Business Pages page 110)

Shauna Wakeman:

I agree with Rick that engaging within a learning environment offers opportunities and fresh perspectives on how to participate within complexity. My educational journey expanded my travels and networks both personally and professionally.

During my MBA, I traveled each semester to a new city to take part in the intensives: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Halifax. My Toronto intensive was the first time I had ever been to Ontario. (I lived in B.C.) In the final year of my MBA journey, I packed up and moved my entire family across the country from B.C. to Ontario to begin a new chapter in my life and take on a new challenge in my career as a District Manager. This type of move is something we would never have dreamed of or even entertained before beginning my MBA. The relocation has brought great changes and possibilities to my family, for which we are all thankful.

Rick Nason:

Shauna’s experiences confirm that working within complexity can be fun. Indeed, successful managers will learn to have fun with complexity.

Complex systems cannot be mastered. They are a continually evolving and emerging portfolio of activities. This implies that the manager’s style needs to be continually evolving as well. Complexity is a reality. It is a fact. It is not a fad, and it is not going to go away. It is not going to diminish in importance; it is only going to grow in importance. (Excerpt taken from It’s Not Complicated – The Art and Science of Complexity in Business Pages page 115)

Shauna Wakeman:

I agree with Rick that we must be willing to continually evolve. I feel like there is no limit to where we can go or what we can do if we take that next step to try something new. This spirit has been passed down to my two sons, ages 10 and 12, who have learned from watching my transformation. They attend university education camps in the summer (even though they are both still in elementary school), and do not feel tied down to one city or one field of knowledge. I am happy knowing that they feel they can chase any dream. I look forward to watching them learn and grow following those ambitions.

Shauna Wakeman: Thriving Within Complexity

September 19, 2017 rbudd 2 Comments

Shauna Wakeman MBA(FS) 2016

Shauna Wakeman MBA(FS)2016, General Manager at CIBC, recognizes the extraordinary potential of emergence, as discussed in Rick Nason’s book “It’s Not Complicated – The Art and Science of Complexity in Business.” Rick Nason argues that while emergence cannot be directly managed or predicted, it can be imagined and be put into place by an enlightened manager.

Shauna imagined possibilities and worked within a complex environment to achieve remarkable results, personally and professionally.

Shauna knew she would embark on an MBA journey. She prepared by searching for opportunities that would yield invaluable insight and diversity of experience.

I dedicated four years to my MBA(FS) studies, Shauna wrote in a recent e-mail to CFAME Connection. Those years were probably the most interesting and exciting years of my professional life. I tripled up raising a family, working full time, and furthering my education.

I believe that always knowing that I would one day take on the challenge of an MBA, influenced my decisions long before I started. I found myself accepting additional projects and responsibilities to expand my knowledge. I looked for opportunities to embrace new challenges.

Planning and timing were critical in taking my education to the next level. Balance between family, work and studies was essential. I waited for my youngest to be old enough to start school before I applied to Dalhousie’s CFAME MBA(FS) program. In the interim, I enrolled in courses via the CSI learning path to earn MBA credits before I formally started. I obtained FMA and CIM designations along the way.

The MBA program increased the interactions between studies and my career path. With each new course, I found ways in which to connect my learnings to my “on the job” activities. Marketing encouraged me to explore my own company on a deeper level. Information Technology Systems instilled a greater understanding of the digital movement. The capstone course, Strategic Leadership and Change, presented a high-level overview that brought the learnings together.

I found each course tied into my career in a new, engaging way; and I used those learnings to apply my knowledge in how I did my job and how I taught others.

As a graduate, I continue to expand my knowledge, network, and the geographic footprint of where I live, work, and play. I feel there is no limit to where we can go or what we can do as long as we take that next step to try something new.

Rick Nason: Embracing the Emergence

September 12, 2017 rbudd 1 Comment

Rick Nason – Embracing the Emergence

A few weeks ago, on my short visit to Halifax, Rick Nason hand-delivered “It’s Not Complicated, The Art and Science of Complexity in Business.” Inside, there is a singular message with this challenge:

“Rebecca – Never stop embracing the emergence. Rick”

The Oxford dictionary defines emergence as “the process of coming into view or becoming exposed after being concealed.” It comes from Medieval Latin: emergentia which signifies “bring to light.”

Over coffee which stretched across a morning, Rick shared how emergence is a paradigm-shifting way of thinking within a world that thrives on complexity.

Rick Nason:

Emergence arises out of connections and social interactions. These social interactions could be internal to the organization, or external, between the organization and its industry or even between the organization and the larger economy. Emergence itself cannot be directly managed or predicted, but it can be imagined, and the catalysts to allow emergence can be put into place by an enlightened manager.

Emergence can be either intimidating or inspiring to the manager. It behaves in weird and unpredictable – as well as uncontrollable – ways. Emergence cannot be controlled, but perhaps it can be nudged. Being aware of emergence and being willing to work with emergence rather than fight it are key. However, doing so requires managers to be sensitive to the broader context of business operations and willing to abandon rigid frameworks and strategies that do not allow for the company to quickly change course. (Excerpt taken from It’s Not Complicated – The Art and Science of Complexity in Business Pages 112 & 113)

When we said our goodbyes, Rick agreed to engage in a CFAME Connection dialogue that explores how life-long learning positions us to recognize and exploit the advantages emergence offers.

Stay tuned! We invite you to share your insights in this upcoming dialogue.

Dr. Rick Nason: It’s Not Complicated

May 23, 2017 rbudd 3 Comments

Dr. Rick Nason
Blended/online MBA program director

Dr. Rick Nason may be on sabbatical until June 30, 2017, but his schedule has not experienced any slowdown. With two new books scheduled to come out in the next few months, Rick’s days are fully “booked” (pun intended).

CFAME Connection reached him on location in Illinois to gain perspective on the challenges that face leaders in the next five years, such as shifting work patterns and additional compliance.

“Predicting the challenges that face leaders in the next five years is tougher than predicting the weather and a much tougher task than any other point in history.” Rick advised with his usual wit and clarity.

“I think there are three main challenges – the need to understand complexity as opposed to things that are complicated, something on which I have a vested interest as I have a book coming out on the topic in this month, the ability to be flexible combined with the ability to deal with the uncomfortable and the unfamiliar; and finally, a new appreciation for risk taking and risk management. Again, a bias as I have a book on new ideas for risk management coming out in August.”

“It’s Not Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity for Business Success” published by the University of Toronto Press, is scheduled to make its debut this month and can be ordered through Amazon.ca.

I have given lectures on the topic of “It’s Not Complicated,” and realized the need to provide a comprehensive review of my findings,” Rick explained. “In the new knowledge economy, traditional modes of thinking are no longer effective. Compartmentalizing problems and solutions and assuming everything can be solved with the right formula can no longer keep pace with the radical changes occurring daily in the modern business world.”

It’s Not Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity in Business

Stay tuned for more from Rick Nason. He has promised to provide more insight into his book coming in August. Meanwhile, we wish Rick all the best when he takes a well deserved vacation coming up in a few weeks.

Category: Books