The 11 Principles are a compass to guide organizations in the digital age.

At Liberating Company we believe that any organization needs to find answers to eleven fundamental questions. Even more important, every company gives answers to those fundamental questions in the way it does things: Ignorance of these questions is much worse than deliberately working towards better answers, through adopting ever better configurations of work designs.

The eleven principles are arranged on the outer sphere of the image below: What is your organization’s belief about the role technology? What about the way power is exercised in it? What is perceived as beneficial for performance and what not? Which role if any does purpose play in your organization? What is the role and definition of the customer? What are the underlying beliefs of the role of freedom in your company? What role does learning play? How is exploration viewed and performed? How is discipline fostered? How are people lead?

We suggest three answers to each of the principles. An old truth, coming from the industrial age. A truth that is now, in the digital age, more relevant than ever before. And a truth that seems to be emerging with the digital age. No old truth is ever outdated. No new truth is ever fully true. Not for every organization, everywhere. This is what makes the digital age so complex.

Companies need to find their answers to these questions – if they want to master the digital age. Read Part IV of the book to dig deeper.