A Framework For Dealing With Overwhelming Quantities Of Information
You overcome information overwhelm not by processing every input, but by structuring your process from problem to action, modeling and contextualizing information at each stage, and consciously choosing what matters and what can be ignored. This approach—used in…
The Benefits Of Providing Structured Comments On Creative Work a la P&G
Commenting on creative work is like commenting on someone’s baby. You need to be ready for the baby’s parents to by insulted by what you think is constructive criticism. Procter & Gamble developed a structured way to provide comments that minimized that risk. The…
How To Master Your Craft Like Composer John Williams
Even if you’ve never heard of John Williams, he has made your life better. His music is an integral part of movies including Star Wars, Jaws, E.T., Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones, enhancing those experiences for all. He is a true master of his craft…
When To Test, Iterate, Pilot, Launch, And Roll-Out New Initiatives
Test to learn. Iterate to improve. Pilot to teach. Launch to commit. Roll-out to manage resources over time. At one level, this is pretty straightforward stuff. But people often skip some of these steps – even though they increase the likelihood of ultimate success in…
The Different Tools Required To Tell, Sell, Test, Consult, Co-Create
Not all tools work on all problems. Years ago, Bryan Smith laid out a tell-sell-test-consult-co-create framework. It’s useful in all sorts of different situations. Just remember to lead differently in those different situations: Tell with clarity of direction and the…
The Case For Using More And More Complete Investment Cases
Investment cases include far more than just an analysis of return on investment. At best, they are fully-fleshed out value equations, considering the benefits and costs that matter most to investors of financial resources, reputation, and time and attention. Keep this…
How Trump’s First 100-Days Impact Your Next 100-Days
If we agree on nothing else, let us agree that Trump’s first 100-days have produced significant changes in the conditions in which you operate. Shame on you if you don’t re-assess your next 100-days in the context of those changes. The prescription is to re-look at…
How Strategies And Tactics Should Merge When Time Is Of The Essence
knocked a hole from the kitchen to a bedroom and turned the bedroom into a play room for our kids our first weekend in the house.
How A Burning Imperative Helps Build A High-Performing Team
The component of a Burning Imperative that is most important in building a high-performing team is co-creating. Bryan Smith laid out five ways to “persuade” someone: tell – sell – test – consult – co-create. If you tell someone to do something, the best you can ever…
How Tactical Capacity Is Essential To High-Performing Teams
The building blocks of Tactical Capacity accelerate executive onboarding and the development of high-performing teams. Each building block has a key component. In building high-performing teams it’s important to put all the building blocks in place and even more…
