A colleague once needed some help with a work-related problem, and she spoke to a large number of people to see how they had tackled similar problems in the past. … Continue reading Advice doesn’t have to agree
Two things about likelihood times impact in risk
A long while ago I spent a fair bit of time looking at “risks” on a risk list. There was a long list of “things that might go wrong”, and … Continue reading Two things about likelihood times impact in risk
The chisel stage and the sandpaper stage
Once upon a time I was speaking to a software developer who was explaining why he wasn’t taking the kind of care in his work that he would have liked … Continue reading The chisel stage and the sandpaper stage
A simple numerical view of risk appetite
I’ve long been bothered by the concept of “risk appetite”. It’s always seemed one of those things that is both intellectually alluring and impossible to grasp practically. But recently I … Continue reading A simple numerical view of risk appetite
Don’t confuse silhouettes with x-rays
The other day I was reading Patrick Lencioni enthusing about Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality tests. He gave examples of various situations where a clear description of someone’s biases and … Continue reading Don’t confuse silhouettes with x-rays
Uncertainty during transformation
I was speaking to friend recently, who had just taken on a new role leading a large-scale organisational transformation (only part of which involved IT change). Along the way, she … Continue reading Uncertainty during transformation
Goals that show success, but don’t define it
I was reading an article the other day about the dangers of making one-sided judgements about risk (tl;dr: always consider risk and reward together) and in the comments underneath someone … Continue reading Goals that show success, but don’t define it
Embracing sceptical people
I was talking to some people once about enabling change, and one of them asked a very important question: How do you manage the sceptics? Whenever we embark on some … Continue reading Embracing sceptical people
The bell curve of project versus business
I’m due to have a conversation with someone about an ambitious startup-type idea they’re seeking to run within an established company. They have an idea—it might be a great one–and … Continue reading The bell curve of project versus business
Self-organising teams need the skills and the context
I’ve often worked with teams that advocate “self-organisation”. If it can be done then it is wonderful thing—it brings together autonomy and motivation, and great results are very often achieved. … Continue reading Self-organising teams need the skills and the context
