Fundamentals of systems management

MANAGEMENT AS A CONCEPT

«Either we manage change, or change manages us.» There is no third option.

From the standpoint of a fundamental definition of the concept of “Management,” it couldn’t be said better. This quote contains everything you need to know about Management:

• management is always inextricably linked with change;
• management is either the source of change, or the force of external change exceeds the attempt to manage it;
• the concept of “change” refers to a constant operational process occurring in the present tense and, in essence, describes Life as such (since the absence of change is Death), meaning Management is also an operational process, the value of which is important, first and foremost, in the present tense;
• in an attempt to understand the essence of the “Management” function performed by humans in operational activities, i.e. on a permanent basis and in the present tense, while influencing individual changes or life as a whole, we can settle on the following definition: THE BASIS OF MANAGEMENT IS MENTAL ACTIVITY AIMED AT DEVELOPING DECISIONS THAT LEAD TO CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT ON THE WAY TOWARDS THE SET GOAL.

MANAGEMENT MATURITY LEVELS

Management is one of the most universal concepts used by people in everyday life, at work, in their studies, and elsewhere, yet it is understood and interpreted in many different ways. Business management is no exception: there are countless opinions and theories on the topic: “What is management in business?” or “What is effective management in business?” In this publication, we will examine business management from a slightly different perspective, asking the following questions:

• «Is it possible to classify the types (levels) of businesspeople’s understanding of the concept of “Management” on a consistent basis?»
• «How can such a classification clarify the understanding of the nature of management, as well as its degree of effectiveness?»
• «What is the basis for the “Systemic Management” level as the most effective in the proposed classification of levels?»

For the system of measures for the desired classification, we will choose the most natural one – maturity. A person’s normal age influences their capabilities in a more than natural and logical way. At specific stages of human development, in the context of their birth date, certain abilities open and close: the ability to move upright, speech, reading and writing, height, weight, physical strength, quality of thinking and expressing one’s thoughts, etc. And although there are exceptions, such as a seven-year-old child prodigy beating masters of sports at chess, while an adult next to them still hasn’t learned to think critically without prompting from television, when we use the adjective “wise,” we often mean a mature person, not a child. This is an objective, natural law, bestowed upon us by nature.

Similarly, another natural law can be observed and utilised – maturity of consciousness. Its principle of existence is absolutely identical to physical maturity (as measured by a passport), but it demonstrates a person’s attitude toward certain life values ​​and concepts at a particular stage (level) of their development (maturity). This will be our coordinate system in determining the levels of Management.

Since our definition of Management Fundamentals clearly and distinctly emphasises the type of activity that underlies it (MENTAL ACTIVITY), it would be perfectly logical to rely on the maturity levels of the part of our being responsible for this. This is our consciousness. Therefore, using the scientific and analytical approach of LiveDevice, we will identify six levels of Management in business, reflecting six degrees of awareness of this concept by managers themselves. We will give each level a provisional name and attempt to analyse the key differences between them, as well as formulate the characteristics and capabilities of businesses based on the manager’s stage of maturity and their interpretation of the concept of “Management in Business.”

6 levels of awareness of Management in business by managers themselves:

• 1 | Management is ensuring connections between people, processes, resources, and other components in the business.
• 2 | Management is fulfilling the functions of a public figure in a social environment.
• 3 | Management is creating and demonstrating individual added value in business/business processes.
• 4 | Management is a planned process for the existence and development of a business.
• 5 | Management is complete dedication to the Business.
• 6 | Management is representing the interests of what/who is higher than the Business itself (the meaning, idea, originator of the Business).

It is important to emphasise that the management levels listed above are not derived from the management tools used, the size of financial flows, or business structures. The classification presented represents a logical cause-and-effect relationship between the level of maturity of a manager’s consciousness, their individual understanding of “what Management is,” and the type of management that should naturally be expected in a given situation.

Let’s summarise the information presented in a table:

Management Level	Manager Maturity Designation	Management Classification
6	Senior Representative	SYSTEMIC
5	Serving the Business	…
4	Strategist	INDIVIDUAL
3	Provider of a Valuable Service	…
2	Public Figure	UNSYSTEMIC, CHAOTIC
1	Messenger	…

› Unsystematic management relies on numbers and time. Moreover, time is usually in short supply, and the numbers usually leave much to be desired.

› Individual management relies on the creation and development of one’s own product, improving its quality and recognition, and also gravitates toward a project-based business style.

› Systemic management is based on a vision of the entire System as a whole, and the foundation of this vision must itself be a system (concept), enabling a holistic view of everything in the business.

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

There are only two types of concepts that can be used as a basis for Systems Management:

• Artificial
• Natural

› Artificial concepts are scientific theories, methods, and approaches formulated by their authors based on their personal understanding of certain aspects of management. Typically, such theories are the result of years of work and the diverse experience of their creators. They are often “adapted” for their potential consumer with the goal of establishing a chain of “Product (concept) – Goods (implementation)”.

› Natural concepts would more accurately refer to those methods and approaches based on knowledge of the natural principles (laws) of management. These principles are highly universal, and their formulation and application, unlike the application of artificial approaches to management, is a process of education with a chain of “Master (representative of the concept) – Apprentice (manager)”.

FUNDAMENTALS OF SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Systems management, based on the LiveDevice analytical approach, is a natural science that studies the natural structure of systems as such.

The fundamental tenets of this approach are:

• our world is 100% systemic;
• absolutely everything in existence can (and should) be viewed as a complete, unified system;
• all systems in our world are structured and interact according to the same laws – principles.

Let’s briefly examine the five key natural principles of systems management, in order of importance:

• PRINCIPLE OF UNITARY BEGINNING

Beginning, Purpose, Motive

• PRINCIPLE OF DUALITY

Direction of Movement (development / degradation)

• TRINITY PRINCIPLE

The essence › Management › Managed Environment

• PRINCIPLE OF 4 BASIC VALUES

4×4 – driving wheels

• PRINCIPLE OF A COMPLETE SYSTEM – 5th ELEMENT

Integrality

For managers striving to both improve their personal level of professional skill and develop the effectiveness of the management function in their businesses, it is absolutely normal at this stage to ask the following questions:

• How to test the effectiveness of the above principles?
• How to apply these principles in management?
• How to build a systemic business?
• How to develop a management reserve within a company?
• etc…