Business leaders should aggressively seek out second opinions from outside their organization. Here are ten reasons why. You’re working with incomplete information. No matter how much you’ve researched the topic, you almost certainly missed something. A second opinion may reveal gaps in your knowledge or alternative sources of insight. You’re surrounded by people who have…
Summary: Understanding someone requires more than knowing facts about them, or even their perspective. It involves grasping the story they live in — their narrative, conflicts, and worldview. Looking at things this way fosters empathy, reveals motivations, and makes it easier to collaborate across different perspectives. Each person constructs a story of his life in…
Summary: When trouble-shooting a problem, challenge your assumptions, and do the easy thing first. This morning I had another lesson in “it’s not what you think.” My first big lesson in that regard was with a garbage disposal. It quit working. I assumed it had died, so I replaced it. The new one worked great…
Summary: A lot of life involves finding the balance between extremes. This article expresses the concept as “fine lines” between two approaches to an issue. There’s a fine line between being data-driven and losing touch with the people behind the numbers. “Data-driven” is overused. It’s actually very easy to be misled by data. I’ll post…
Summary: “We’ve always done it this way” may be a sign of obstinate inflexibility, or it may be a sign of respect for the people who created the rules in the first place. They had to have their reasons. I saw a thread on LinkedIn criticizing the old “we’ve always done it this way” as…
Summary: When evaluating a new technology, you’ll have lots of preconceptions about how it should work, and what key terms mean. You need to shed those preconceptions and ask lots and lots of detailed questions. Last week I was working on an article for Martech.org on customer data platforms and their close kin – that…
Summary: Goals and objectives should be planned ahead of time. Methods and operations should be documented afterwards. Many years ago I did a workshop on how to get marketing to work with IT. I’ve noticed that when IT says, “I need a requirements document,” marketing often hears that as “go away, kid, you bother me.”…
Summary: One type of efficiency often leads to inefficiency in other areas. It’s important to maintain a balanced perspective on different types of efficiency and to relate them to your overall goals. Dishwashers frequently have an efficiency label on them. Those labels irritate me because they imply there’s only one kind of efficiency that matters…
I’ve been preparing a workshop on how to develop use cases, and I was taking some notes over the weekend. I started with obvious things like quick wins and bang for the buck, but a few things I read reminded me that there are often other considerations. There are any number of things you can…
Summary: A simple method to get out of your own assumptions, study a topic, gain insights on that topic, and then apply what you’ve learned to what you’re doing. “Eat your own cooking.” “The cobbler’s son has no shoes.” “Physician, heal thyself.” “Take your own medicine.” There are a lot of sayings that follow that…
Summary: The article introduces the creative thinking cards from Schoolofthought.org. It focuses on two cards, “Imagine you’re the devil” and “No Limits,” which encourage thinking outside ethical and practical constraints for creative brainstorming. The author emphasizes that this approach can help uncover innovative ideas and prepare for competitive challenges. Did you know that “devil’s advocate”…
Summary: The author criticizes articles that make generalizations about generations like Gen Z. While there are averages, individuals within a group can vary widely. Instead, focus on managing people based on their specific characteristics and needs rather than labeling them based on demographics. However, such articles can be valuable in pointing out issues that may…
Summary: This article emphasizes the importance of staying within one’s area of expertise when creating content. The author recounts a podcast interview with a priest who made compelling arguments in his field but sounded foolish when discussing geology. The article advises content creators to stick to what they know and seek expert input when venturing…
Summary: “Yes” represents the allure of possibility and affirmation, while “no” signifies discipline, focus, and resource control. “Yes” is alluring, but can lead to illusions. “No” is a tool for maintaining focus, setting boundaries, and adhering to principles. “Yes, and” is a good tool for creativity, and “no, but” is suggested as a way to…
Summary: Buzzwords are both annoying and necessary, often used to sound knowledgeable without conveying meaning. However, they reflect current trends and ideas. When you can, replace a buzzword with something else. When the buzzword fits, back it with data and examples. Think of buzzwords as symbolic, encapsulating larger meanings. Critique (and limit) their use, but…