Beliefs and principles are useful. They guide us when we are dealing with unknowns and uncertainty. They also get in the way, because they blind us to being aware of when they stop working. This is particular true of process, where ideology often gets in the way of adaptation and a recognition of what works here (or what won’t).
You Are One Pivot Away From Oblivion
Startup culture is rooted in principles of failing fast and often, and pivoting on to the next thing. And I absolutely understand the value of adaptation and evolution. But we forget that principles are not hard bound rules. And what works for startups does not necessarily work for their customers.
Reflections & Resolutions
I don’t generally write about myself, but I’m making an exception to that here. I’ve been away for awhile, dealing with a number of challenges on the personal front. Now, as we start a new year, I’m taking an opportunity to review and reflect on the year that has passed, and explore what is ahead in 2018.
Thanks for your patience.
New Webinar: Navigating Change – A DIY Guide
Change models serve a critical function when thinking about change: They help us avoid false assumptions, and validate concepts that we suspect are true. And yet? There’s a gap between the ideas within the models and how exactly we bring those ideas to the specific change initiative we’re facing. In this webinar – Peter will […]
Appropriation & Adaptation
While models can be awesomely useful, they are ultimately just constructs that were created because they were relevant to someone at some point. What’s more important is understanding where our models come from in the first place: how they are created, how they evolve and what they connect back to. We forget their underpinnings at our peril. But unfortunately we do that a little too often.
This Is All Make-Believe
We fall in love with our models, our processes and our standards. They’re helpful when they help us to make sense of the world, but they can also get in the way. What we sometimes forget is that they were all invented to provide a perspective on a problem. That means we can change them, adapt them, evolve them and dispense with them when they stop providing value.