I got into an interesting debate with a colleague a little while ago over lunch, about whether or not processes are relevant when organizations are starting out. The specific basis of this debate was a discussion around the business model canvas framework described in Business Model Generation, which I’ve been writing a lot about.
Abstract, Not Concrete: The Value of Models
How much guidance do we need for a model to actually be useful? The very value of models is that they are abstractions. They provide ways of taking complex situations and simplifying them through structure, categories and labels. They make the infinite shades of grey a little bit more black and white.
Pondering Procurement
As a consultant, preparing proposals are a necessary part of winning business and securing work. On that basis, I do not consider them a ‘necessary evil’; they are simply necessary. They are what allows me to confirm a client’s expectation and needs, propose a solution to those needs, outline how the work will be done […]
Reclaiming ‘Strategy’
Do we need to reclaim ‘strategy’? There was a very interesting article in yesterday’s Globe and Mail that essentially suggests that the words ‘strategy’ and ‘strategic’ are overused, hype-filled and meaningless buzzwords.
Reframing Vision & Mission: The Concept Of ‘Governing Ideas’
I’ve been reading a book called ‘Presence,’ as part of a different sort of project that I’ve been working on over the last little while. Written by Peter Senge (of ‘Fifth Discipline’ fame), Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski and Betty Sue Flowers, it is a different sort of book that endeavours to address how best to […]
Transitioning From Planning To Emergence
Last week’s post about planned and emergent projects was both a continuation and a departure for me. It was a continuation, in that it speaks to project management and outlines concepts that I have been endeavouring to work with and introduce to customers for some time. It is a bit of a departure, however, because […]