Don't Jump to Solutions

"Given the experiences of the past six to twelve months, what vision will work with our company's markets and technologies?"

"The key issue is whether or not world class capabilities translate into a demonstrated competitive advantage to win wars, treat diseases, reduce poverty, or simply make profits."

"In studies of how change does occur, it has been found that individual champions often emerge and make things happen despite the overall organizational tendencies."

"Organization's highly populated with MBAs, economists, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and other professionals tend to have lots of people who think they know the right way to solve almost any problem."

"What single event could make or break your company?"

"If consensus is achieved by avoiding underlying disagreements, then consensus becomes a delusion."

"How do this year's sales and revenues trade off against next year's, or those five years from now?"

"It is impossible to be a business success without having relationships with customers."

"A system that emphasizes individual accomplishment will inevitably thwart new organizational emphases on teamwork. Similarly, a system that only keeps score of short-term results will undermine efforts to promote long-term thinking."

"Creating plans is often easier than executing plans."

"Even though a company is trying to sell new products and services in new markets, it will tend to keep its old belief system."

"You should expect many of your plans to fail in the sense that they do not lead to the consequences you anticipated when you created them."

"With good leadership or facilitation, and your emergency checklists, you should be able to move beyond the thirteen delusions."