Subtitles

One of the challenges with being a business practitioner and a philosopher is that your imagination sometimes takes over during meetings. The other day I was in a meeting with executives who were discussing a very complex problem. I started to notice a disparity between what everyone was saying and what they were communicating. Because one can only listen toContinue reading "Subtitles"

Hidden Disagreements

Language in all it's abundant complexity offers multitudinous opportunities for misunderstanding. We've all been in meetings or conversations where it suddenly becomes apparent that people's understanding and use of a phrase dramatically differs from our own in a meaningful way. "How are the new engines for these bicycles?" "Great!" "When can we stick them toContinue reading "Hidden Disagreements"

Your Help is a Hindrance

Have you ever been on a project where it feels as though someone is unwittingly playing defense against a successful outcome.  Either they are doing things that actively run counter to the group or are doing things poorly that require others to pick up their slack.  I do not mean those who are trying toContinue reading "Your Help is a Hindrance"

The Demand of the Norm

In business there is an effect similar to gravity. A business's history and culture acquires a mass of its own over time. That mass perpetuates the values and norms of the business. In large organizations the mass of its history becomes a monolith by many names "what we've always done," "the right thing," "what we learned last time,""weContinue reading "The Demand of the Norm"

Clap for Me (v.2)

There's nothing wrong about recognizing hard work and celebrating success. Teams that withhold praise are hard to work with. However, I often feel that there is something disingenuous about leader-led mandatory cheerleading. I can think of a few explanations for why leaders mandate cheerleading for coworkers:  You think your team is gullible and you want to payContinue reading "Clap for Me (v.2)"

The Octopus and the Man-0f-War

Looking for a solid decision-making analogy for a team embarking on highly complex work in a fluid, evolving environment? Why not try an octopus? Here's what that might look like Octopuses have significant amounts of neurons positioned within their limbs. Each leg can process complicated sensory input and begin to interpret external stimuli. With these capabilities an octopus can begin to react aContinue reading "The Octopus and the Man-0f-War"

Minimum Viable Part 1

A few weeks ago I overheard a common complaint while in a meeting with technology experts. "They don't know what an MVP is.  Our business partners just aren't thinking as well as we are about these things."  The promulgator of this complaint was looking around the room ready to soak in the approval of theirContinue reading "Minimum Viable Part 1"

Survivor Mindset

The goal of the CBS show Survivor is to Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. With physical, psychological, and political gamesmanship it can make for entertaining television. However, we've seen cases where people apply this mindset to their workplace. This introduces us to another of our installment on sicknesses; the survivor mindset.* The survivor mindset turns wit and political savvy from helpingContinue reading "Survivor Mindset"

Rudder Events

In business, efficiency is often placed on a pedestal and revered as a demigod.  Six sigma could serve as its Franciscan order.  Agile was born of the pursuit of efficiency.  There exists, however, a vast amount of work that lives in the qualitative and communication based setting known as a meeting. It is here thatContinue reading "Rudder Events"

Well Executed Failure

I'd like to talk about how strategic is different from tactical. Before you go calling me Tactico-Strategicus, be warned that I differ in perspective with the tyrant in an important way. If you remember, the tyrant views tactical and strategic as a balance between near and long term plans. I'd rather distinguish strategic and tactical as occupying two different realms of thought.Continue reading "Well Executed Failure"