This is one of those series of books that I wish that I could use a time machine to go back in time and give myself before entering the world of Lean, Agile, continuous improvement and change management.
A Business Fable of Change and Intrigue
The “Lo and Behold, X!” saga consists of 5 books that tell the tale of Nathaniel Lee Abel. Nate is an inately able young scholar who discovers a compendium of articles on the body of knowledge of X: a mysterious set of principles, practices and tools that well-meaning, passionate experts promise can be used to transform any kind of kingdom of enterprise (i.e., corporation) with.
As Nate ploughs through a series of X pilot projects, X PMOs, X initiatives, Global X Management departments, X conferences, and other forms of establishing X across all realms within the opulent kingdom of Obratheria, like a Luke Skywalker he relies again and again on the Yoda-like (or Daniel/Miyagi, if you prefer) guidance of the venerable Robert McBarkle the Fourth, a retired titan of leading business and change, to overcome a series of mounting obstacles and machinations–an increasing number of which are a result of the Machiavellian Lord Richard von Kopf, who sees X as the last opportunity to enrich his legacy within the kingdom’s annals before he retires.
Personalities and aspirations collide, as do the various approaches and attempts at figuring out the next step in the ever-elusive “X transformation” of the kingdom according to what the consultants and business periodicals simulacra foretold in their prophecies.
With an expansive cast of interacting characters based on Jungian archetypes and a comprehensive set of situations that many larger organizations face while trying to get Lean, Agile or any other change-heavy set of ideas to stick, this is a series of books that make you smarter about a) the politics and agency issues within successful organizations that seek the latest shiny object in management, and b) the clashing psychopathologies of those who promote, detract from, or endure attempts to change how things get done on a foundational level.
If you liked business novels such as The Goal, The Incredible Story of Deft, The Phoenix Project, The Goldmine and The Lean Manager, and have a deep interest in avoiding political pitfalls as you go from an enthusiastic beginner to a manager of strategic initiatives and the teams that develop and manage them, I am pretty sure that you will enjoy this series too. Same goes if you have the authority to introduce any X in your organization with the help of people like Nate.
If you have read the 2nd edition of “The Incredible Story of Deft”, here you will also discover the origin story of Jobelina “Lina” Theemaux, the trainer who delivers the workshop on avoiding pitfalls of business hype surrounding what I call “Deft”, i.e. any fad-du-jour, buzzword-laden and “miracle cure” that is supposed to solve any and all business problems.
The “Lo and Behold, X!” book series consists of 5 books, each roughly 110 to 120 pages long. The entire series can be purchased at a hefty discount as a bundle .
Here’s what takes place over approx. 600 pages and a tale that spans a decade of Nate’s career within the kingdom of Obratheria:
Book 1: Denizens of the Ivory Fortress
Forever free on Leanpub – pay what you want! If you want to get the book for free and get a taste of the Tale of Nate, simply slide the “YOU PAY” slider all the way to the left.
Nate, a young, impressionable scholar stumbles upon a hallowed anthology of articles describing “X”—a fabulous, counter-intuitive “thing” every company should be “doing” (duh!) with the potential to change the world of business. Will his “X transformation” succeed? And what will he discover about X, organizations, business and, ultimately, himself?
Book 2: Growing, Pains, and Awareness
Nathaniel’s endeavor to transform the kingdom of Obratheria with X continues to grow, causing growing pains, and the growing awareness that not all is as easy as reason and rationality would have you believe; transforming the kingdom of Obratheria with “X” is fraught with complexity and growing pains that he had not anticipated.
Book 3: Doldrums and Machinations
Nate finds himself at the center of a maelstrom of machinations and power plays within the capital of the kingdom of Obratheria. In the midst of this chaos, he attains many realizations about the world of enterprise.
Book 4: Bifurcation and Deliverance
Nate realizes his standing within the kingdom of Obratheria, and beyond. Playing his cards right, he deftly navigates the predicament in which he finds himself, caused by the Lord Baron who used to be his sponsor.
Book 5: Above, Beyond, and Far Away (a Work In Progress)
Nate confronts his nemesis head-on and engages in a battle of wits. The kingdom routes around Nathaniel’s rebuke of the path chosen for him and scrambles to control the damage. A new figure picks up the mantle of X leadership within Obratheria, while the Lord Baron Richard von Kopf and his “partners in crime” deal with the consequences of their actions.
How will the tale of Nate conclude? How will the future of Obratheria be shaped by everything that transpired in the tale of Nate? Will Nate finally manage to transform the kingdom with X? And what will he learn in the process, about X, the nature of kingdoms, the follies of enterprise, and about himself?
