There’s Got to Be a Better Way
Book

There’s Got to Be a Better Way

How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work

Nelson P. Repenning and Donald C. Kieffer
Basic Books, 2025
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Many organizations struggle to keep pace with technological change because they cling to outdated approaches to work design that are rooted in rigid Fordist and Taylorist ideologies. MIT Sloan School’s Nelson P. Repenning and Donald C. Kieffer insist there’s a better way: dynamic work design. The authors explain how to design workflows that optimize learning, surface opportunities for improvement, enable change in the face of disruption, and support teams in achieving their goals. Their detailed case studies illustrate how dynamic work design can deliver significant performance improvements.

Summary

Dynamic work design adapts to changing conditions, enhances problem-solving, and reveals opportunities for improvement.

At many organizations, inadequate workflow systems create chaos, embed inefficiencies, and leave managers exhausted. These systems fail because they’re rooted in static approaches that are poorly suited to today’s dynamic business environment. They’re akin to early GPS systems that steered drivers into traffic jams because they couldn’t sense or adapt to changing conditions. Dynamic work design, in contrast, functions more like modern GPS systems: It builds adaptability and responsiveness directly into workflow management.

In challenging situations, such as complex projects, periods of rapid growth, or simply navigating constant change, leaders can become overwhelmed, falling into the “firefighting trap” by focusing excessively on crisis management and immediate outcomes while losing sight of what’s actually happening in the organization. Operating blind, these leaders might even become “firefighting arsonists,” making well-intentioned decisions that inadvertently worsen it. A downward spiral ensues, structures and rules become increasingly onerous...

About the Authors

Nelson P. Repenning is the School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies at MIT Sloan School of Management. He directs MIT’s Leadership Center. Donald C. Kieffer is a career operations executive and senior lecturer in operations management at the Sloan School. He served as vice president of operational excellence at Harley-Davidson for 15 years.

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