Diagnosis, Prognosis & Therapy
Philosophy and principles, not just tools

Consultancy

We are excited by ‘wicked problems’ and intractable challenges.

Philosophy

Consultancy must be about philosophy and principle not simply practice.

Research

Researching organisational effectiveness underpins all our work

Cybernetics and Intelligent Organisation

More or Less Useful is a series of seven discussions between Chris Heald and John Beckford exploring his interpretation of the supradiscipline of organisational cybernetics and its role in addressing contemporary challenges.

Research into the principles of effective, intelligent organisation underpins all work at Beckford Consulting. Our rigorous, research-based approach to all projects ensures the development of transformational thinking to address your challenges…

Publications

When we talk about an organisation as ‘intelligent’ we are describing its ability to synthesise people, processes and information into a capability to co-adapt with the rapidly changing organisational environment.

Thoughts & musings

Blogs are driven by observations of the world and interactions with other people, experiences that cause us to pause and think, to be amused or annoyed! Blogs are generally incomplete thoughts, not fully explored but intended to stimulate the reader to reflection

Management, Digital Transformation and Requisite Bureaucracy

I recall that the first question posed to me by the External Examiner for my doctoral viva (a thesis on the application of cybernetic ideas to organisations) was:           “So John, is what you are proposing here an alternative bureaucracy?” Frankly I have no idea how I answered it at the time, well enough I suppose since I passed. It

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