Life’s a funny business… Some people attempt to have it all planned out by setting goals, while others find arranging even the next day difficult, and for some, just living can be somewhat Haphazard.
From a societal viewpoint, those who plan are normally portrayed as smart, sensible, intelligent, while those who struggle to plan can find they are labelled Chaotic, all-over-the-place, Random.
Haphazard Business
Businesses can also find themselves with such labels.
People who join young Fin-Tech companies, having spent careers in established firms, particularly in fields of manufacturing, engineering and pharmaceutical, can be heard complaining of the Chaos and lack of direction many of these start-ups suffer. Yet history of commerce is littered with tales, and occasionally public inquiries, into large reputable companies having Haphazard policies, systems and processes eventually leading to the demise of the firm – or not!
Routines
Separating the people from the business or business from the people is never straightforward. Both survive through daily Routines; encompassed through the policies and processes within a company, and values and principles of the employees.
It is where these routines overlap that tension can be found, and when not managed well, leads to clashes, stress and disruption.
When companies or employees become too ridged they run the risk of stagnation, and when too loose the Chance of catastrophic error increases. Both scenarios often lead to eventual failure.
Auditing Haphazardness
Even within the driest of business processes, that of hallowed auditing, Haphazard methods are used to try to balance out bias risk. To create a dynamic and successful organisation requires employees to excel and really put their soul into the business, knowing it adds to a vibrant personal life for themselves and their family. As with auditing being all about achieving a perfect balance, so the same should be applied when running any kind of corporation.
Haphazard Index
Seeking out companies and employees who have found such a balance between life and work, how it has been achieved and maintained, and why others are not following the same process will all be explored throughout the project.
Creating a Haphazard Index (Hi) is one of the project goals, a way for organisations and individuals to weigh the pros and cons of Haphazard methods.
John M
Connected blog posts, Haphazard Life Plan, Haphazrd Routine, Haphazard Index, Auditing Haphazardness and Glossery.
Image: Escalator Going Down | John McKiernan
Haphazard Business 
There is a lot of talk about balance – work life balance, companies getting right balance between this and that – although is a trade off for “balance” an acceptance of some of the possible consequences of balance i.e degree of stagnation, imposed limits, lack of innovation and difficulty/unwillingness to change. Obviously it’s a dynamic state and it’s often about trade offs between x and y but being aware of these trade offs and their possible consequences is important.
Thanks Darren for comment, it really interesting. So am I right in saying that you feel the focus on finding balance, as discussed in the article, is more likely to lead to a form of stagnation rather than assist?
Very cool idea! Particularly in the context of the current mega trends re increasing uncertainty and unpredictability. Companies that are agile, adaptable, and flexible will be better placed to succeed. So a haphazard index could be a very good indicator of resilience for an unpredictable future 🙂
Thanks Karl. I feel the same, events like Brexit are unlikely to be fading away anytime soon, leading to difficult decision making, especially when considering investing in new permanent jobs and machinery. @CarolDavidDaniel from City University also picks up on this with his comment on the home page. The strong likelihood is those tasked with making big, longer-term decisions will have their hesitance misconstrued as Haphazard planning/thinking by those who do not have to make the decisions.