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 like data. That probably isn’t a surprise. I’ve built scorecards, KPI frameworks, dashboards, and reporting cadences across manufacturing, healthcare, and service environments. I’ve seen data bring clarity, alignment, and momentum. I’ve also seen it do the opposite. Because at a certain point, more data does not make you a better leader. It often makes
The Danger of Data Read More »
Every high-performing team has a certain sound. It’s not loud or flashy. It’s that quiet hum that tells you something’s working under the hood. Progress is happening, not because someone’s cracking a whip, but because the team wants to move forward. That’s hunger. Patrick Lencioni describes it as one of the three virtues of the
Hunger: Pistons That Keep The Quiet Engine Firing Read More »
Over the last year or two, I’ve had the opportunity to write about Patrick Lencioni’s work and its relevance to a Business Operating System. Today, and over the next few weeks, I’m going to focus on the other aspect of his writing that really drives (yes, pun intended) an organization and an individual. I’ve worked
The Power of Lencioni’s Three Virtues Read More »
Every organization has pieces of a system. Weekly meetings here, annual planning there, maybe a dashboard or two scattered around. But the difference between pieces and a system is the difference between noise and music. Over a year ago, I had the opportunity to help a healthcare organization move from “pieces” to a true Business
Connecting the Dots: How a BOS Creates Clarity and Motion Read More »
Imagine if your favourite NFL coach ran your Monday morning ops meeting (yes, that would be Mike MacDonald or maybe Chuck Knox from days gone by). There’d be energy. There’d be clarity. There’d probably be intensity. But above all, there would be structure. Because in football, especially in the NFL, reviewing performance is sacred. It’s
Operating Cadence in The NFL Read More »
Ever tried to microwave a bag of popcorn and waited, hand on hip, for that magical moment when one or two lonely pops suddenly cascade into a flurry of buttery explosions? That’s critical mass. And it doesn’t just happen in physics or snack preparation. It’s a real thing in business – that elusive, powerful point
Critical Mass: The Tipping Point that Changes Everything Read More »
