The Evolution of A Dilemma

Abstract

THIS IS A BOOK THAT COULD HAVE BEEN written 35 years ago with nearly the same urgency and poignancy. While the reference points may be different and the jargon dated, the tinderbox has been building for several generations. The modern-day origin story of the dilemma goes back as early as 1981 when the Harvard Business Review began publishing articles that dealt with the growing concerns of managers who were overwhelmed by the struggle to cope with increasing demands and rapidly changing conditions.¹ And although this building pressure finally exploded at the inflection point of the Great Recession, the manager’s dilemma was already embedded in our way of working.