A few things crossed my news feed over the last week that, on the surface, had nothing to do with each other. Among them was a piece by Paul Hogendoorn (MA – September – October 2026 by annexbusinessmedia – Issuu) comparing how manufacturers operate versus how governments operate, with a clear focus on accountability. The
I’ve taken a train maybe a dozen times in my life. On the few occasions it happened, it was usually the most convenient, economical, or timely way to get somewhere, and every single time it was uneventful, pleasant, and completely forgettable. Trains have just never been my first choice. If distance is the deciding factor,
Planes, trains, and yes, more trains Read More »
Summer is a time to step away from the daily grind and, hopefully, enjoy some vacation time, since those of us in Canada know the season can be too short. Our family just wrapped up a whirlwind tour through Europe. It was a fantastic two weeks and gave our two teenagers their 1st introduction to
The Bill Never Came (And That Was the Point) Read More »
I have held many titles over the years. Manager, Director, GM, COO, and now Consultant. The specific title has mattered far less than one consistent reality I’ve encountered in every organization I’ve led or worked with: most people have something valuable to say, and most of them aren’t saying it. And it’s not because they
Getting People to Talk: What I’ve Learned from 20 Years of Skip Levels Read More »
There is something quietly disorienting about walking a university campus with your son as he tries to figure out his future, knowing you stood at almost exactly the same crossroads nearly 40 years ago, just as certain, just as much in need of recalculating. My wife and I have now toured Waterloo and Western with
Dogs, Data, and Decision-Making: Lessons from My Two Goldens What my goldens have taught me about signals, noise, and business intuition Golden Retrievers have a way of teaching you things you didn’t know you needed to learn. I’ve had two of them in my life, one in the past, and one currently. Loyal, loving, chaos-inducing
Over the last month, as I’ve written about the dangers of data, how to ensure quality decision-making, and avoiding ambiguity, I’m going to conclude this series of articles with a topic that most know is near and dear to me – The Business Operating System. Every organization has an operating system. Most just don’t realize
The Unspoken (and Unwritten) Operating System Read More »
Most organizations don’t set out to be unclear. Ambiguity creeps in quietly, usually with good intentions. A role evolves. A process stretches. A decision gets deferred. Someone says, “We’ll figure it out as we go.” And for a while, that works. Then the organization grows. Complexity increases. The same ambiguity that once felt flexible is
The Hidden Cost of Ambiguity in Growing Organizations Read More »
As I noted in my previous article, the conversation that “more data doesn’t mean better leadership” is now out in the open, which naturally leads to the next question. If data doesn’t make decisions, what does? The answer is uncomfortable for some leaders. Judgment. Context. Accountability. And the systems that support them. In other words,
Most Businesses Don’t Have a Performance Problem, They Have a Decision-Making Problem Read More »
I was a child of the 70s, and even now, decades later, Christmas morning still lives vividly in my memory. I can see it clearly. It is 3 or 4 am, far earlier than any reasonable hour, and I am already awake. My feet barely touch the floor as I run down the hall and
Christmas Memories Read More »
