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Bob’s Your Uncle… and What We Stop Questioning
If you’ve ever watched a British cooking show or listened to someone from the UK explain how to fix something, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Bob’s your uncle.” “Tighten the screw, reconnect the cable… Bob’s your uncle.” Today, it simply means “…and there you have it,” or “…it’s as easy as that.” It’s a cheerful…
assumptions, Best Practices, business leadership, business strategy, change management, context, continuous improvement, critical thinking, curiosity, Decision-Making, discernment, history, Language, Leadership & Practice, leadership development, leadership insights, organizational culture, organizational effectiveness, organizational learning, problem solving, Process Improvement, sensemaking, strategic alignment, Strategic thinking, systems thinking -
Stop Issuing RFPs Based on Assumed Needs
I was asked to review a Terms of Reference a couple months ago for a twelve-month Commercial Marketing Advisor. It was a thoughtful document. The objectives were clear, the scope of work was comprehensive, and the desired outcomes were well defined. As I read through it, however, I found myself thinking less about the proposed…
assumptions, business decisions, business leadership, business strategy, commercial sustainability, consulting, decision quality, Decision-Making, diagnostic thinking, executive leadership, governance, Leadership & Practice, leadership insights, management, organizational diagnosis, organizational effectiveness, organizational learning, pre-decision diagnosis, problem solving, procurement, requests for proposal, RFP, root cause analysis, strategic reflection, Strategic thinking -
Is Your Business Problem Congenital or Congestive?
Medicine makes an important distinction between congenital and congestive heart failure. A congenital condition is structural. The defect exists from the beginning. The heart may continue to function, but it was never designed optimally in the first place. Congestive heart failure is different. The heart’s structure may have been adequate, but over time it becomes…
⚙️ Sensemaking in organizations, Leadership & Practice, Strategic Sensemaking, Systems, Structure & Relevancebusiness architecture, business diagnosis, business leadership, business strategy, business transformation, change management, continuous improvement, Decision-Making, entrepreneurship, kaizen, Leadership & Practice, leadership development, leadership insights, operational excellence, organizational health, root cause analysis, Strategic thinking -
Agreement Does Not Guarantee Alignment
Agreement and alignment are often used interchangeably, but they describe very different conditions. Agreement is relatively simple. It occurs when people arrive at a common position or decision. A proposal is accepted. A contract is signed. A partnership is formed. A strategy is approved. Agreement answers the question: Do we support this? Alignment is something…
Get Clarity before the Fix
