MIT DINNER CLUB SPEECH
INTELLIGENT ORGANIZATION:
Navigating Three Principles
ABSTRACT:
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has shared his vision for KAUST to become a world class research university of science and technology. He urges KAUST to be a beacon of knowledge and a bridge between peoples and cultures, bringing benefits to the Kingdom and beyond.
I shall speak of the underpinnings of science and technology, outline three principles, and apply them to the “science” of organizations. I shall also share from experiences at NUS and close with my aspirations for KAUST.
Science arises from the vigor of curiosity, tempered by the rigor of reason. Technology is science responding to life’s necessities, and the many demands of the human condition. The interaction of science and technology helps bring about understanding of the world, connections with the world, and transformation of the world.
Three basic principles – the Rule of the Average, the Syndrome of the Weakest Link, and the Principle of Complementarity – will be illustrated with examples from materials science. Applying these principles to organizations, we see how the Rule of the Average entrenches mediocrity, and how the Weakest Link Syndrome unwittingly enables the worst performer to determine the best the organization can achieve. In contrast, harnessing the Principle of Complementarity empowers members to play to their individual strengths as well as achieve synergy, thereby building an intelligent organization.
In tandem with Singapore’s transformation from a manufacturing economy towards a knowledge- and innovation-driven economy, NUS has moved from a predominantly teaching institution to a research university respected in the global arena. Re-making NUS required saying ‘No’ to the Rule of the Average and ‘Yes’ to intelligent organization – as well as instituting global yardsticks and best practices.
Realizing King Abdullah’s vision for KAUST will call for an environment of open and vigorous scientific inquiry and collaboration, where all with the passion and talent to contribute can play their part.
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