ABSTRACT
All our existence can be written in terms of information. Genetic information from two parents is combined to create the cell that divides until we have life. We are born with a brain, and our five senses, to make something intelligible of the world around us-of what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Managing is about arranging information in ways that achieve objectives set down in a plan. Information is central to every action we take. Some of the signals are happily sent while we sleep, or subconsciously while awake. When it comes to planning and managing, the same rules apply. Information and its transmission, its understanding and its effects are what will make the difference. Some of the best plans will rely on shared values. As Handy (1999) has said, ‘Shared values are great, of course, if the values are great.’ We will need to check these values periodically to be sure that they are shared, rather than risk assuming that they continue to be shared.
