Our Approach: How We Work
Fractal Minds combines deep expertise and at least a decade of experience in the following three areas:
Culture, Leadership & Strategy (CuLeSt - pronounced ‘coolest’): research shows that most strategies fail and that ‘culture trumps strategy’, so leadership strategy should focus on improving organisational culture. However, culture is an emergent phenomenon so isn’t something that can be targeted directly - instead, the focus should be on ways to improve the quality of relationships and connections between all staff, clients and other stakeholders, and the broader community. I am also comfortable at the interface between different cultures, navigating the tensions and opportunities between industry and academia, business and technology, start-ups and enterprises, not-for-profits/charities and for-profit firms, and Indigenous and Western world-views, and believe there is much that we can learn from and with the oldest continuous cultures on Earth — the First Australians.
Systems, Agile, Design (SAD) Thinking: These three ways of thinking are perhaps best understood as different sides of the same triangle. There is growing recognition of value of systems thinking, which is perhaps the most aligned paradigm to one of connectedness in Western societies. Complex systems are inherently unpredictable, and Agile approaches are best suited in such environments to manage risk and maximise autonomy and alignment in cross-functional teams. Design thinking helps ensure diverse perspectives are leveraged to better understand an issue/scenario and to maximise creativity and innovation when designing interventions.
Digital Strategy & Transformation (DST) - especially those involving AI & other emerging technologies: Most digital strategies and transformations consider three key dimensions: people, process and technology, and sometimes also data or information as a fourth dimension. There are different views on which of these is the most important, but if you subscribe to the narrative of connection, then the most important considerations are the interactions between each of these dimensions, regardless of how many there are. By focusing on the interactions between these dimensions, people are encouraged to take a more holistic view of their operations and the value they provide, which is needed to ensure the strategy or transformation has the greatest chance of success.
The intersections of these areas include:
DST and SAD: Systems design and agile implementation of digital and emerging technology solutions
DST and CuLeSt: Leadership for digital ‘learning organisations’; Responsible AI and Innovation - especially from different cultural paradigms
SAD and CuLeSt: Culturally Diverse Design; Indigenous Systems Design; Korean Design / Design for Harmony
At the intersection of all three is the application of Culturally Diverse Design / Indigenous Systems Design to Digital Strategy & Transformation (including AI and other emerging technologies).
Fractal Minds has experience in, and is interested in continuing to offer services to, the following domains/industries:
Education — especially academic-industry collaboration and co-designing and facilitating transdisciplinary innovation
Technology — especially around leadership, culture and strategy, and innovation and emerging technologies
Government/public sector — especially understanding and addressing issues with complex systems
Enterprise — including multi-/trans- national organisations
Startups — especially social enterprises