Do you feel as if you’re stuck the way you are or do you feel that you can grow? A book by a Stanford psychologist identifies a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset.” Depending on your mindset, you can profoundly influence your development and happiness. We look at a Thinking Process Tool to support continuous […]
Holacracy vs. Hierarchy? The Answer Lies in Managing Complexity.
A recent article about the company Zappo’s relates how they have chosen a new organizational structure of holacracy that removes traditional managers and job titles. They believe this new structure will allow them to grow in a way that is less rigid and bureaucratic. While this may be a move in the right direction from […]
The Rabbi, The Sales Expert and the Good Wife – the Power of the Authentic Network
What do a Rabbi, a Sales Expert and The Good Wife have in common? The problem of an authentic network. During the same day, a conversation with a rabbi, a talk by a sales expert and an episode of TV series ‘The Good Wife’ all had something in common: authenticity and how it affects our […]
Why Have We Written a Business Novel? Now Available!
If you had to choose between reading a text book about business and reading a good story, you might be more tempted by the story. But what if you didn’t have to make that choice? What if you could learn about a transformational approach to business and read a darn good story at the same […]
How to See the Future with Science – Part Two on Predicting Process Behaviour
In Part Two of this article on predicting the future with science, we look at the tool from Statistical Process Control that helps us understand behaviour patterns in our processes so we can make more informed decisions. When is a process predictable? We say that a process is “predictable” when it is in a […]
How to Scientifically Predict the Future (well, at least for your processes)
What exactly do we mean when we talk about prediction? Nobody ever seems to get it right. Does it have any relevance at all for management? The answer to that question is a resounding yes! What do we mean when we talk about prediction? There is an ongoing discussion about the meaning we assign to […]
Education Is A Serious Business
A new book by American journalist Amanda Ripley looks at highly reputed education systems in the world. Her findings on what makes these schools successful may be a surprise to many. In an article in the Globe and Mail, they condense the lessons learned form Ripley’s research into seven key points. We would like to […]
When a band-aid costs hundreds of dollars – a USA healthcare experience
The cuts healed in a few days, but months later, I am still dealing with the insurance aftermath and a lawyer. This is my recent healthcare experience in the USA that left me truly non-plussed. On a visit to Reno in May this year, I had a close encounter with a wickedly sharp grater […]
How To Embed Creative Business Thinking In Your Organization
We may think we know how to think, but can we do it better? This post looks at some tools for systematic, creative thinking for business (and beyond). A recent article in the Globe and Mail newspaper asks the question, how can we produce more creative business thinkers? What sort of things should business schools […]
Mining the Past to Create the Future
The ancient industry of glass blowing in Venice is threatened by a grim economy, changing taste, and cheaper alternatives. A recent article from The Economist concentrates on the famous island of Murano and the challenges facing the centuries-old tradition. One glass-blowing studio in Murano has found success by working with fine artists to produce rare […]
