Today’s society is extremely fast paced, and growing exponentially. Everyone appears to be in a hurry and is looking for their demands to be met immediately. This has called for a new high in industry acceleration in order for businesses to stay alive. With this quickening rate comes more frequent change which businesses are struggling to stay pace with, for it seems impossible to get ahead of the curve. The Harvard Business Review even claims that, “the hierarchical structures and organizational processes we have used for decades to run and improve our enterprises are no longer up to the task of winning in this faster-moving world.” In order to stay in the game, companies must be reevaluating their operating strategies and corporate structures every few years at a minimum.

In order to keep with the pace, stay ahead of competition and deliver results, Harvard Business Review suggests that today’s businesses are in need of a second operating system, that is focused solely on creating and implementing strategy using an “agile, networklike structure.” This second operating system would work in harmony with a company’s traditional “operating system”, but would free up the business’ hierarchical leaders to focus more on their tasks and operations and it would be prepared to more quickly identify problems and implement new initiatives. The second system would be organized and run by representatives from all departments of the company to ensure well-roundness and effective results. These representatives are volunteers, energized by the possibility of new efficiency and effectiveness.

This focus on strategy will allow companies to be prepared for the many changes that come with fast-paced society and ever-changing industry. Companies will also be extremely up-to-date on what the newest and most effective strategies are because the second operating system constantly surveys the business, the industry, and the organization. This will allow for businesses to implement new strategies more quickly to meet new demand. John Kotter, author of Leading Change and the Harvard Business Review article, Accelerate!, has successfully put this dual operating system into practice at eight organizations.

As a student in the field of Hospitality, I can absolutely see how this second operating system could be effective. Hospitality is a fast-changing industry because as society’s tastes and interests shift, Hospitality must shift with them to meet their needs. My concentration of Food and Beverage has certainly seen this shift over the years, as new focuses on gastropubs, cuisine fusion, and food trucks have come underway. If Hospitality businesses were to implement the second operating system they would be able to consistently develop new strategies that would keep pace with society’s shifting interests. Perhaps, it would even allow us to forecast where the new demand may be seen in order to carefully choose the newly designed strategies.

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