Many managers like saying “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”. It rolls off the tongue and sounds logical. But it’s time to stop saying it. Why? Because it risks creating an environment where problems are supressed. We will all occasionally encounter problems that stump…
Complex adaptive systems can be particularly challenging when making important decisions. To help navigate these challenges, we have developed some guidance and a simple canvas that will help in understanding the complexity of the systems you work with, and to make better decisions within them.
As we’ve discussed in similar articles on both mission and vision statements, organisational values are an often used concept, but rarely well executed. Many organisations have developed a set of values, but very few have applied them in a way that truly and uniquely defines…
The strongest organisations are those that are healthy, not just smart. Organisational health depends on four disciplines: developing a cohesive leadership team, creating strategic clarity, over-communicating that clarity throughout the organisation, and reinforcing strategy through systems and ways of working. Clarity doesn’t need to be complex and abstract, instead it can be achieved by answering six questions for any organisation: Why do we exist? How will we succeed? What do we do? Who does what? What’s most important, right now? How will we behave?
Consider the following set of seemingly unrelated questions: The thread that connects the answer to each of these questions is clarity. Clarity is a fundamental element of great strategy, organisations and relationships. It is one of the most powerful outcomes that can be achieved by…
During a recent workshop with a client’s board and leadership team, a great question was asked which had everyone in the room stumped. We were discussing the organisation’s purpose (see our article on the importance of purpose here), which we felt was quite well-defined at…
Objectives and key results (OKRs) provide a simple and collaborative goal-setting methodology that can be used by any organisation, team or individual. OKRs comprise of an objective – WHAT we’re seeking to achieve, and one or more key results – HOW we’re going to achieve the objective. OKRs have successfully helped many organisations, including – most famously – Google, prioritise what’s most important, create alignment and connection, increase accountability and stretch for ambitious goals.
We love podcasts. They’re super convenient, cover every genre imaginable and usually free – what’s not to love? Beyond pure entertainment, we find podcasts to be a powerful tool for learning. There are many great podcasts covering the world of work and business that we…
Clarity is a fundamental element of great strategy, organisations and relationships. At its core, clarity is simply the state or quality of being clear, coherent, intelligible and free from ambiguity. It exists in multiple forms – as a quality of something (e.g. clarity in the…
I have recently been reading about the history of outdoor clothing and gear company, Patagonia. There are a number of stories about Patagonia that perfectly illustrate the power of purpose in business. Examples include: Patagonia is an organisation that knows who they are and why…
I hear and read about a lot of organisations and teams that wish to be ‘high performing’. This is a great goal, but identifying this ambition is the easy bit. The hard bit is working out how to translate the relatively abstract concept of high…
Icebreakers can be a great way to kick off a meeting or workshop. Our strategy workshops always start with an icebreaker, and we typically use them after major breaks in longer sessions. Done well, they lift the energy levels in the room, help people to…