Patterns are everywhere. Teams, both formal and informal, can be described by their patterns. Thinking about groups of people in terms of the patterns they exhibit offers a new way to see them, assess them, and influence them. An elegant and powerful way to do this is by using distinctions and language derived from the “new” …
Category Archives: General Musings
“Opensure”
Here is an essay I wrote in 1998. In these days of continuous change, it seems even more appropriate than it did then. Ever notice how often people say, “I’m really looking forward to getting closure on this topic.” Closure is a good thing. It provides a sense of finality; of a chapter closed, a …
Cause and Corrective Actions — Too late!
“Houston, we have a problem.” That statement, initiated by the astronauts on Apollo 13, galvanized people from all over the world into action. Their heroic actions resulted in the safe return of the astronauts. Once the astronauts returned home, a different kind of problem-solving effort ensued – to figure out what happened and what to …
You get ALL of What you Measure
“Be careful what you ask for – you just might get it.” This saying, and others like it, have been around for a long time. A number of different maxims attest to the power of establishing goals. “What gets measured gets done.” “You get what you measure.” “What is the difference between a practice and …