Category Archives: Problem Solving

6 June 12

A checklist is more powerful than an org chart?

Most of us so-called ‘knowledge workers’ don’t particularly fancy the term ‘checklist’. It smacks of an antiquated top-down command-and-control Dilbert-style bureaucracy where someone sitting on 42nd floor of corporate headquarters hands down a piece of paper for you to blindly follow and to make you feel dumb and outright humble – for it dilutes your role and underplays your intelligence as if anyone else in your position could have done it! In short, it seems to trivialize the knowledge, skills and expertize required for the job into a mechanical routine requiring no human intelligence, and places the decision-making into hands of people irrespective of their competence levels. And we hate it!

Role of Integrative Thinking in Project Management
24 February 12

Role of Integrative Thinking in Project Management

The conventional wisdom is to try to find a via media but that is perhaps meekly surrendering to complexity by taking a short-cut to a suboptimal solution. He argues that the some of the most exceptional leaders do not succumb to the obvious “either/or” thinking but rather work patiently towards synthesizing the best from both of these opposing views to create a best-of-breed solution that is far superior to either of these. He calls it “integrative thinking”.

How do you measure initiative?
24 April 11

How do you measure initiative?

A common feedback at performance appraisal meetings is to take more initiative. We all understand the presence or absence of initiative, but how does one know if one was taking enough initiative or not?

Are you splurging long-term dollars for a short-term fix ?
23 December 09

Are you splurging long-term dollars for a short-term fix ?

Diagnosing the root cause of a problem is a critical analytical skill. Most often, what you see is not what you get - the symptoms might indicate something, but the root cause might be entirely different. Some cases require a short-term fix - an immediate one, while some require careful …more

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