Business gurus McMaster & Brown challenge top global consulting firms with radical new approach to organising for corporate success

Internationally recognised consultants Mike McMaster and Adrian Brown have set out their new ‘disruptive’ thinking in an upcoming seven book series the first of which, The Power of Organisation, is released today (7thJuly 2022) by Bite-Sized Books.

The series, entitled ‘Stories From the Edge: how to change the world with platform technology and intelligent complex adaptive systems’, will transform how we organise work, business and organisations. It will introduce the new frontier of growth that is made possible by transforming the critical elements of organisation design. These systems are intelligent because the major forces within them are independently intelligent human beings. They introduce elements of surprise and non-linearity.

Mike McMaster, business owner, consultant and the author of seven prior books, has spent the last 40 years developing ways of designing organisations so that individuals can experience true freedom in the pursuit of a well-defined strategic intent. He comments, “The business world, from the largest corporations to the newest start-ups, is faced with a mind-boggling paradox. How can they maintain control of their business whilst at the same time giving their people the freedom to be truly innovative? It is a paradox that started with the industrial revolution and one that has been highlighted by the influence of the pandemic. The secret lies within organisation itself, not the entity, but the coordination of action that leads to positive human connection, surprise and outstanding results.”

Adrian Brown, who has over 34 years of experience in running, and consulting small and medium-sized businesses, adds, “We’ve addressed this paradox head on and offer a comprehensive guide to business leaders, managers, and all internal champions on how to organise for success.”

Julian Costley, CEO at Bite-Sized Books, says, “It’s clear that traditional management theories are now inadequate to tackle our modern business world. This seven-book series is the perfect ‘toolkit’ to implement the essential fresh thinking. Each book is aimed at highlighting a different aspect of organisation design. Together they combine to empower the individual whilst preserving the corporate cohesion necessary to achieve ultimate goals.”

The Power of Organisation, published by Bite-Sized Books, is available now on Amazon Books here.

McMaster & Brown is a new joint venture spanning the Atlantic. Michael McMaster, a Vancouver, Canada based veteran of corporate transformation and Adrian Brown, from Exeter, UK, a veteran of developing and transforming SMEs have come together to address the growing problem faced in organisations today. That problem is the failure to understand how the design of the business model influences the performance of an organisation.

Adrian is passionate about freedom, choice, expression and to operate without restraint and is committed to creating that freedom for everyone he interacts with. Mike, a student of the Austrian economic system and a libertarian, has spent his life bringing freedom and new organisation design to corporations globally. He has worked with the transformation of companies from the board room to the shop floor.

Their passion for freedom in the workplace is paramount. Whilst Mike might be a peaceful anarchist, Adrian is a rebellious conformist - a perfect match. Instead of control, they offer influence, instead of debate, they offer dialogue and instead of opinions, they offer true self-expression.

Their approach works in two ways. It empowers the executives and managers to let go and give people freedom while at the same time it provides clear and powerful rules of the game. The freedom and the rules empower all individuals so that they can fully participate and make their best contribution. Those who are engaged in such a way, go beyond the expectations of executives and management to produce extraordinary outcomes.

Bite-Sized Books, now in its 8th year, has built a well-regarded reputation for publishing shorter (10-12,000 words) books that fit our modern reading habits and lifestyles. People are demanding condensed but still comprehensive books that go to the essence of their subject matter. The genre has inspired new authors previously daunted by the prospect of writing full-size typescripts and facilitated a radically shorter journey from ‘concept to bookshop’.

Bite-Sized Books, whilst smaller than its big industry rivals, has an enviable roster of authors and contributors. They include politicians such as Vince Cable, Sir John Redwood, Lord Heseltine and Ed Vaizey, and high-profile media leaders, broadcasters, and journalists such as Mark Thompson, Clive Myrie, John Mair, David Elstein and Jon Snow. Academics and economists are also in the mix with publications by Vicki Pryce, Patrick Minford, Dr David Bailey, Victor Hill, Alex de Ruyter and Professor Graham Gudgin.

Bite-Sized Books’ chairman and founder is Dr Paul Davies. CEO is Julian Costley.