General Description
I have retained the ambition to make computers easier to use ever since the days of the Commodore 64, however the focus has shifted tremendously since the time when the challenge for the user was to program it. Today the challenge is to turn data into information and knowledge, and from there turn factual and experimental knowledge into wisdom. Turning data in computers into human wisdom has been a challenge for practically every organization I have been involved with while working in this field for the past decade. I have been privileged to take part in the challenges of organizations as a knowledge worker, a programmer, a software architect, an entrepreneur as well as an executive. First and foremost, however, it was my involvement with hundreds of organizations around the globe, from small operations to Fortune 500 enterprises, as they attempted to meet the challenges of competing globally, which gave me the inspiration as well as the confidence to write this book.

To me it seems obvious that there are three ways in which organizations fail to maximize their potential. First of all, we are not exploiting our talents and our minds to the fullest extent. We live in various degrees of fear that make us hesitate and restrict our lives. Second, if we assemble an organization from multiple individuals with these restraints we aggregate the loss in human potential while at the same time we prevent ourselves from reaching a state of interpersonal synergy; synergy that is free from fear and mistrust. On top of these two issues, the third loss of potential is the problem I attempted to address in my first programming experience, namely people’s inability to interact with computers. This inability is what prevents us from using computing to the extent where it is capable of making an extraordinary impact.

In other words: a huge potential is lost, a potential that could have been converted into energy that would make organizations successful and people more contented, less stressed out and most importantly, less burdened with fear.

Turning now to my own love for computing: I was compelled to research and describe some of my visions of how computing could change the scenario where potential is lost today, and how it could continue to do so in the future. My attempt to summarize my research and thoughts led to a concept for using computers to unleash the potential and apply it optimally in an individual and an organizational context. The concept is called CALM: Computer Aided Leadership and Management. Overall, CALM is a concept for unleashing the potential of both individuals and organizations through computers; in this case, potential is mental work only, meaning that I basically take the traditional workflow optimization through computer processing, as well as physical work through robotics, for granted. Few will dispute that people are gradually being displaced from these disciplines in favor of the raw physical strength or strength in basic computation. The CALM concept seeks to take the next step from there, as we traditionally see computing and human labor as very different. CALM is the exploration of short-term and long-term possibilities for using computing to unleash people’s mental and emotional potential in either an individual or organizational context.

In this book I will describe the environment that we live in and that organizations operate in. It is an environment that has been shaped significantly by computing in the past decade, and is going to be even more so in the future. From this standpoint I will review some of the latest research in human psychology, neuroscience and organization in order to identify ways for computing to address the restraint of fear. Next, I will share my theory and vision for computers to assist organizations to become more energized, meaning that they will have the necessary abilities to survive and to succeed. Energy in this sense is the unleashing of human and organizational potential, but it is also about using computing in revolutionary new ways for humans and computers to work autonomously and even in some cases “bend time”. Finally, I will take the energized organization and add the strategic mind on top of it. The mind in this case is a combined human and computer effort; it is up to the leaders and mangers to exploit computing to its very limits and to its full potential.

Themes and Conclusions
Computers have already redefined our environment, and in the future they will redefine the tasks of people as they become displaced by more capable and intelligent computers. The CALM leaders and managers will harness this power of change and be able to fuel their organizations in radical new ways by balancing evolving human and computer talent.

I have taken the concept of CALM for a spin in both contemporary times as well as the future. Additionally, I have sought to take it from practical implementation advice that you can start today to extreme potential applications of the future. Some might be surprised by the state of the art today; but would that be surprising? We humans often underestimate our own capabilities, so why wouldn’t we do the same with computers…?

Intended Readership
This book is intended as a flash of inspiration to the leaders and managers who seek to maximize the potential of individuals and organizations through computing. Bear in mind that computing is, so far, the only one of the three potentials that is evolving exponentially, and it appears to be doing so for both an immediate and longer-term future. I do believe in the relevancy and potential of computers as the fundamental tool for leaders and managers today and in the future; computers will make organizations succeed or fail.

Further Information or Feedback
Please contact: morton@targit.com

Updated 2008-05-19