Blog
Beware the Lure of Frameworks
Posted by: Tom Read | Posted on: February 18th, 2012 | 1 Comments
Frameworks are very useful in helping stimulate ideas. But they can get you in trouble if you don’t understand every aspect of them. For example, what if you are briefing along and you forget what “Style” really means in the context of 7S? Or ”mission” vis-a-vis “vision?” The best advice I can give consultants is to use frameworks, old slides cooked up [...]It’s The Reward System, Stupid!
Posted by: April Goldstein | Posted on: February 16th, 2012 | 2 Comments
In my double life as a part time MBA student and full time consultant, I often notice inconsistencies between business theory (the way things are “supposed” to run) and practical experience (the way things DO run). This same tension is reflected in most organizations with certain policies that don’t lend themselves to compliance for any number [...]The Workforce of the Future Expects Freedom
Posted by: John Dillard | Posted on: February 13th, 2012 | 0 Comments
Here at Big Sky, we work hard to be a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE), and these survey findings from Cisco’s World Technology Report make me feel great about that approach. Have a look at the wonderful infographic from the report, shown below. The things that strike me most: 7/10 of students think that being [...]Effective Communication: A Key Leadership Skill
Posted by: Brad Gates | Posted on: February 10th, 2012 | 1 Comments
For the past few years, I’ve been supporting the strategic communication function of a large Agency Directorate in the Intelligence Community. I’ve written briefings, white papers, emails from the leadership to the staff, and a variety of other products. Through my experience here, and to some degree life in general, I’ve come to the conclusion [...]Stand-Up Meetings
Posted by: Patrick Norton | Posted on: February 3rd, 2012 | 0 Comments
An article in the Wall Street Journal offers some relief to endless meetings: stand-up meetings. The idea is that if everyone’s on their feet, and not getting too comfortable sitting at the conference table, then meetings run more efficiently. No one wants to be the greedy speaker who keeps everyone standing needlessly. The guys over at Freakonomics are [...]Decision Biases
Posted by: Robert Hull | Posted on: January 30th, 2012 | 1 Comments
Based on data collected in a recent McKinsey survey described in this article, a company’s decision making process can be hobbled because of decision biases the executives have. Some of the decision biases from the article include: Executives weigh potential losses significantly higher than potential equivalent gains Decision makers focus their analyses of opportunities on [...]Executives Can Enable Meaningful Work AND Affect the Bottom Line
Posted by: Carolyn Purcell | Posted on: January 25th, 2012 | 3 Comments
I recently read the McKinsey Quarterly article How Leaders Kill Meaning at Work . I was intrigued that this article connects and addresses two of the most significant challenges and frustrations I’ve observed and experienced within organizations with multiple layers of leadership: 1) a clear disconnect that often exists between business executives and those who [...]Vivid Thinking
Posted by: Tom Read | Posted on: January 24th, 2012 | 0 Comments
When I come out of a meeting, or worse, a conference call, I stare at my notes hoping to make sense of them before everything evaporates. Everyone experiences this to different degrees, and as consultants we are supposed to be great listeners and summarizers. This is why Dan Roam’s book Blah Blah Blah: What to Do When [...]Execution: Just Do It!!
Posted by: Todd LaRocca | Posted on: January 23rd, 2012 | 1 Comments
I’ve been involved with several pilots in the Defense Department over the years and to learn that another critical program is being overly reviewed and granted unneeded extensions is frustrating. Many would say that programs of this magnitude need extensive reviews and meetings to determine the right way to move forward. I would argue that reviews [...]Decision Trees: Giving Predictions a “So What”
Posted by: John Dillard | Posted on: January 19th, 2012 | 2 Comments
In large corporations and in government clients, I often observe a great deal of consternation and uncertainty when it comes to assessing future scenarios, and more importantly, what to DO about those scenarios once they have been identified. Executives really don’t have time to sit down and analyze every “what if” and their teams sometimes [...]
