Past/Present: Push/Pull
In every moment we are being pushed by the past or pulled by a future. But the past is always available and keeps us comfortable. Yet, breakthroughs depend on our connection to the future. Have you ever noticed just how readily at-hand the past is? Whether a grievance or fond memory, they never stray […]
Religious Fervor
Our methodological tools are merely that–tools. But we become attached to them, and soon we are no longer craftsmen, but disciples. When that happens, we become tunnel-visioned; everything demands the same tool. The world is full of experts who believe their tool bests every other! Whether strategy maps, KPIs, Scrum or Waterfall, it’s easy to […]
Neutrality Can Sniff Out Bad Strategy
I was listening to a radio interview with David Cohen, an experienced Special Master. You are probably familiar with the title as it has been in the news lately. But, in case not, a Special Master is essentially a judge’s proxy, charged with ensuring the court’s orders are fulfilled, and doing it with utter neutrality. […]
War Games
Would you rather watch than read? Click here for the 8 minute video. The war in Ukraine has left us all feeling some combination of sadness, anger, and hopelessness. It also reminds us of just high the stakes can be when trying to anticipate the future. Apparently, the US government tried modeling the possibility of a potential […]
Is It a Fact?
Let’s say you are on your way home from work. It’s a Thursday. You get a text from your boss. It says: “Please see me tomorrow morning.” Before you have finished reading, you will probably have a physical reaction. It may be a sudden surge of adrenaline, a sinking in your stomach or an instant […]
Go With Your Gut?
My Friend Holly swims at a public pool. Mothers often bring their 6- or 7-year-old sons into the women’s locker room, where, as you might imagine, women are undressed. Periodically, as a naked woman turns to walk to the shower, she inadvertently finds herself facing the inquisitive face of a 6-year-old boy. Why does this […]
Binary Bias — Video Preview
It’s natural. Humans see the world in binary terms. Good/Evil, Dark/Light, Right/Left. We are simply hard-wired that way. That tendency served us as well in caveman days, when we needed to make snap decisions about whether to fight or flee a saber-toothed tiger. But today in our lives and in our work, it may be […]