decision making – Page 3 – Reimagine. Strategy.

December 7, 2020May 3, 2022

Winter Driving

“I don’t like winter.”

At least that’s the story I’ve always told myself.

Last year, I escaped winter a few different times for work, and it made the long season manageable. This year, that ain’t happening. Winter 2020 has just begun where I live, and I’ve been dreading it.

But I’ve had a small breakthrough. I’ve realized that winter isn’t the problem. Winter driving is. It causes me stress. I don’t like wondering if I’m going to be able to get somewhere, or how long it will take, or if my less-experienced-driving kids will be safe in the snow. Continue reading “Winter Driving”

May 11, 2020May 3, 2022

Show up how you want to end up

A ten-year study of how Italy’s 15 largest cities weathered the global financial crisis of the late 2000s found that organizations’ decision-making styles before the collapse largely matched their styles during and after the crisis. Those that did formal strategic planning continued to do so. Those that used an incremental, ad hoc planning approach did so before and after. Those whose approach was described as “inertia” before fell into that same category after.*

Plus ça change…. Continue reading “Show up how you want to end up”

February 10, 2020May 3, 2022

How Decisions are Really Made

In the city where I live, there have long been calls for the creation of fenced, leash-free dog areas. I’ve been involved in facilitating a few of the meetings about them — over years, not months. The community engagement that went into planning these dog parks was extensive, and support for the initiative was robust.

The first one was installed last year, with at least one more about to be constructed. And now the local Council has voted to remove the one and cancel the rest, pending further study.

Why? Because some of the neighbours who live close to the new dog park are very unhappy.

So what happened? Continue reading “How Decisions are Really Made”

December 16, 2019May 3, 2022

Alone Together

I was preparing for a couple of sessions this past week, designed to share my story in a program called Thought Leaders Business School (TLBS). I was therefore thinking about why it’s worked so well for me. Continue reading “Alone Together”

November 4, 2019May 3, 2022

Opening the Black Box of Decision-Making

It’s no wonder people can be cynical about the value of stakeholder engagement. They submit their ideas and never see them again.

We’re getting better at engaging people, better at assuring them their input matters, better perhaps at telling them their input is being considered alongside other inputs, and occasionally better at telling them what was eventually decided. But the path between their input and that decision is still largely shrouded in mystery.