We found John Cassidy’s essay in the Oct. 5 New Yorker, “The Real Reason that Capitalism is so Crash-Prone,” to be illuminating about the challenges of managing in an irrational context, like the recent credit craze or the more distant dot-com and telecom bubbles. Cassidy argues that, even if managers know that they are in the middle of a bubble, they have little choice but to go along. Boards and investors tell them: “Do it, or move aside so that someone else can.” Few can resist such pressure.

While we appreciate the value of information technology, we think that too often it hinders collaboration and thoughtful decision making. An article in yesterday’s New York Times, “Mind Your BlackBerry or Mind Your Manners,” reminded us of how technology can inhibit group processes–and how a flip of a switch can sometimes dispel the distractions.