Monthly Archives: August 2009

All 3 tend to get used in executing strategy. Science is the easiest to describe and explain. This includes application of learnings from books, research, models, articles, training and best practices. Techniques such as Six Sigma and Monte Carlo simulation … Continue reading →

If you walk up to someone and say, “I have a solution that will help you: Get rich. Lose weight. Sleep well. All without side effects or unintended consequences”, you will get their attention immediately. Yes, they will want to … Continue reading →

I dread the thought of taking my car for service. The customer service rep rattles off a list of things wrong with the car and presents a huge bill. At this moment, I begin to wonder if it is cheaper … Continue reading →

Use cases describe how a system behaves and responds from an outsider’s point of view. This could be a user or customer. A use case creates the notion of a scenario. If all possible scenarios experienced by a user or … Continue reading →

In achieving excellence, many things have to come together, fit seamlessly and work without friction. Distinguish between ‘ingredients’, which we define as one of the pieces of the puzzle that stands alone and provides value in its own right, and … Continue reading →

When you invite a lot of guests to dinner and the food preparations are behind schedule, tensions begin to rise. Guests get hungrier and crankier. To keep the guests calm and stop them from leaving, appetizers are provided. To keep … Continue reading →

‘Clarity’ is the ‘aha’ moment about the problem or opportunity at hand. Joint clarity is when two or more people understand the problem or opportunity in the same way. You could even talk about clarity around the other person’s motivation … Continue reading →

If people said what they meant and meant what they said, life would be simpler (and some would argue, more boring). The barriers to communication have been well documented: Language usage and interpretation Personal decision biases Differing frames of references … Continue reading →

The other day, a light went on in my auto’s dashboard, warning me that tire pressure was low. Fortunately, I was near a car service station. An inspection revealed the culprit, a nail in the tire. 60 minutes and $29 … Continue reading →