Field Notes

Insights, observations, and analysis to guide here and now. Get inspired, get caught up, and get back to it.

Featured Readings

AI as a Historically Significant Capability: Why Boards Should Reassess Organization Design Before They “Implement AI”

Organizations have always been shaped—sometimes quietly, sometimes violently—by the constraints of their era. When capital intensity demanded scale, firms built functional hierarchies. When markets expanded geographically, organizations aligned around regions. When product lines proliferated, divisional business units emerged to restore focus and accountability. When knowledge work and motivation became central, matrix structures and team-based operating models rose to promin

Jan 26

Postcard from green building summit September 20, 2025

Following up on the Death and Life of the Green Building Movement

This post captures an action plan following "the Death and Life of the Green Building Movement" summit from SoRD September 20, 2025. Let's get to work.

Oct 8, 2025

Emotional Intelligence in Change Leadership: Navigating Emotions for Success

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is essential for effective change leadership.

Oct 14, 2024

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Organizational Charts for Reality

Modernizing an Industrial-Revolution Artifact for Mid-21st-Century Enterprises—Without Breaking the Org Chart Abstract Organization charts were designed for an industrial-era reality where work was primarily human labor, information moved slowly, and control depended on hierarchical supervision. Mid-21st-century enterprises operate as socio-technical systems: outcomes are produced by humans working through core platforms (ERP, CRM, PLM, MES, CMS, workflow, data platforms) and

Strategy and systems

Richard Diamond

Oct 15, 20256 min read