-
The Fix Forward Session: Tackling Recurring Roadblocks
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Organizations can conduct increasingly effective meetings while continuing to discuss the same unresolved problems, introducing corrective actions without adequately understanding why previous efforts have failed. The Fix Forward Session™ changes the conversation from repeatedly managing recurring issues to understanding what keeps them in place before determining what…
-
Building on an Assumption Is Shaky Ground
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: When a solution isn’t working, we often look for what needs to change in the solution rather than questioning what we assumed about the problem. Before investing in another fix, it may be worth going back to the assumption on which everything else was built. We make…
-
Are We Solving the Problem or Servicing It?
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: Organizations can become increasingly effective at responding to a recurring problem without ever changing the conditions that keep producing it. Before investing in another intervention, ask whether it will reduce the problem itself or simply improve your ability to manage its consequences. Some problems become very expensive…
-
Before you Decide What to Fix, Ask this…
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: When something stops producing the result we expect, our instinct is often to start fixing. Before deciding what needs to change, it may be more useful to identify what changed first. When anything stops working, our attention usually goes straight to the problem. The temptation is to…
-
Breaking the Cycle of Broken Fixes
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal post in two sentences: When a problem keeps returning despite repeated attempts to fix it, the failure of those solutions becomes information worth examining. Before investing in another fix, it may be time to ask whether the problem has been accurately understood in the first place. When the same problem keeps…
-
The Distortion isn’t in the Tool
Today’s Strategic Alignment Journal Post in two sentences: The quality of AI’s output often reflects the quality of the thinking we bring to it, making the real issue less about the tool and more about the user. Before evaluating any tool, it is worth examining the thinking behind deciding to use it in the first…
-
What Can Pigs Teach Us About Decision Making?
Today’s 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 in two sentences: Sometimes the most valuable lessons in decision making come from the places we least expect. Pigs remind us that good judgment is not about knowing everything, but about consistently observing, remembering, discerning, adapting, and choosing well. A Surprising Teacher As a young adult, I absolutely LOVED National…
-
A Practical Look at Faith in Business
Faith is often avoided in business. It either sounds too religious for the boardroom or perceived as too impractical for strategy meetings. Yet every entrepreneur exercises faith. None of these come with guarantees. In a Return to Love, Marianne Williamson tells us that there is no such thing as a faithless person. The question isn’t…
Alignment, belief systems, business growth, business leadership, business mindset, business strategy, business success, conscious leadership, Decision-Making, entrepreneurship, faith, intention, intentional leadership, Leadership & Practice, leadership development, mindset, mindset shift, organizational leadership, personal growth, problem solving, purpose, resilience, Self leadership, Strategic thinking -
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
Get Clarity before the Fix
