If we could predict the outcome of everything we do with mathematical certainty, then our lives would be much simpler. In reality, we exist within a complex web of interdependencies and such certainty is not possible. Hence, we live with uncertainty and its inevitable companion: risk. We perceive a risk any time we feel that […]
Quality and Kindness: An Uplifting Healthcare Experience
Sometimes it can be useful to look at a system from an individual’s point of view, as the design of the system is what creates our experiences. So this blog post by Intelligent Management co-Founder Angela Montgomery takes an unusually personal slant. “We’ll keep an eye on you for five years,” my surgeon told me. […]
What Is Variation and Why Can’t Leaders and Managers Ignore It?
Asking somebody to lead or manage without knowledge of variation in our opinion is like asking them to sail a boat without a rudder. That’s an observation based on 20 years of working with organizations and witnessing the effects of managing (or not managing) variation. We’ve been asked to explain some more about variation following our post […]
Why Are There So Many Bad Managers? (And Why Are Project Managers the Solution?)
An alarming number of people leave their jobs because of bad managers, according to a recent report from Gallup. This is bad news not just for the unhappy employees but for the organizations who lose good resources. Management has been around for a long time, so why are people still so bad at it? Being […]
