Organizations invest significant resources in training. Evaluating and assessing the impact of that investment is of more than theoretical importance. Part of assessing impact involves considering whether participants are able to successfully take on board and apply the principles being taught. Of far greater importance is whether or not they feel that they are allowed to.
Process is an essential dimension of project management. Its the essence of our standards. It’s the basis of how we think about building organizational capabilities. An essential belief underlying project management maturity is that better process leads to better results. And yet, the way process is implemented is often… less than optimal. That’s why project…
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How we think about change is stuck in the past. Judging by the way we organize, there are those who would like to keep it that way. We need to think differently about how we organize for change. And we need to change our organizations.
Miss en place is a delightful term. It comes from cooking, and is the basis of preparation for a chef. Meaning “everything in its place,” it highlights the value of being ready. It also highlights the value of actually getting started.
Are we having fun yet? This question often conceals a great deal of derision. It gets asked most when things are stressful and challenging. But it’s actually a great question. Exploring why we should embrace play and fun when the going gets really serious.
We try to understand situations, analyze problems and offer solutions. We believe that they solutions will be understood on their own merits. That the general insights we offer will be translated into personal implications that people are prepared to embrace and run with. And we would be wrong. A meditation on the importance of two words.
Adding a tool to the toolbox. On the surface, this sounds like an awesome and progressive thing to do. And yet—all too often—we risk become packrats, adding more tools without an appreciation of the context of why. Solving real organization problems isn’t an issue of needing more tools. It’s an issue of using the tools that we have effectively and well.
“Fake it until you make it.” So the saying goes, and so goes so much management wisdom. From some perspectives, this would seem like a viable strategy. Current insights into leadership development suggest that we act ourselves into new ways of thinking, and not the other way around. That we learn by doing. That means…
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In the face of challenge, we often avoid work—particularly work that challenges us. This might be a result of preparedness, and it may simply be procrastination. In either instance, solving it isn’t a thinking problem. It’s a doing problem. On the very real importance of action.
This is our fifth annual ‘Book Review’ webinar as we close out (open up?) the year. Peter and Mark are both presenting. As before, we will take a read on the year that has passed, discussing the best business books we have each read this year. These may live between the covers of our normal…
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