Will AI Replace You? Issue 185, November 7, 2024 One of the most popular debates of 2024 is what AI won’t replace. Is it me? Is it you? Is it all of us? Is it none of us? Surely you can think back to movies that projected what a possible future might look like as technology becomes more immersed in all aspects of our lives. Science fiction often isn’t fiction, but rather prediction. In real life, some of us will…
De-Risking Too Much Choice in Organizational Decision-Making Issue 184, October 31, 2024 You are ready to publish an article in the content section of your website and you go to GPT4 to game the system and fine-tune the title with SEO phrases to attract the most search traffic possible. You cut and paste the article into OpenAI’s tool, enter the prompt and voila! GPT spits out 20 choices. It then asks you if you want it to expand on any…
How Talented Are You at Achieving Consensus? Issue 183, October 24, 2024 One of the major sticking points in organizational (even family) decision-making is the pursuit of a shared goal in building consensus while recognizing the diversity of opinions, thoughts and expertise of those involved. But first, for the record, consensus is a general agreement about something, either an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group (Brittanica). And add to that, the result of…
Who Are Your Teachers? Issue 182, October 17, 2024 Several years ago, we attended a thought leadership conference that explored emerging trends. At the end of a session on sustainability (not just climate change, but resilience and prosperity) Chief Oren Lyons, the Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper of the Onondaga and Seneca Nations of the Six Nations of the Grand River, looked straight at the audience and asked us, “Who are your teachers?” It was one of those moments in time when a…
A Closer Look at Testing Issue 181, October 10, 2024 A core strategy in any decision-making is whether we are asking the right questions. Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School professor and economist asked the classic question, “What business are you in?” Transformative examples are Uber is a technology company, not a ride-sharing company — ditto for Airbnb, Google and Amazon as tech companies, not the obvious. Okay for asking questions. But what about challenging the sacrosanct strategy of testing new…
Why Do We Lie? The Sequel Issue 180, October 3, 2024 Even the most optimistic among us must admit that we are living in an unprecedented and unpredictable public arena of deliberate misinformation and lies. It has become accepted behavior, and among some, a badge of honor. It is confusing and discouraging that intentional lies have become part of the fabric of our lives. If we don’t know what is true and whom to trust, it can lead to the…
The Necessity and Risk of Taking Sides in Change Issue 179, September 26, 2024 You believe you are an individual with principles. You consider yourself to be fair and an advocate of fair play. You follow your North Star, have a shared purpose with others, and show courage as a leader. At work, you are a proponent of the bigger picture and how each member of a team plays a role in contributing diversity of opinions and perspectives. In short,…
The Power of Letting Go Issue 178, September 19, 2024 The Autumnal Equinox has made its annual appearance, and if you are anything like us, the change in seasons is bittersweet. On a simple level, we are leaving the sentimental idea of happy, sunny, summer days behind as we cross the bridge to winter’s edge. If we’re more realistic, we have to admit that the Summer of 2024 was the fourth hottest on record, and by August 15, 29,917 fires…
Risk Management: Are You a Responder or Solver? Issue 177, September 12, 2024 We were recently invited to sit in on a cybersecurity simulation at a cybertech conference. The simulation was staged as an interactive exercise between the experts and the audience. The expert panel was comprised of local, state and federal disaster relief experts, a US Congress representative, the military and a few private sector officials. The simulation started with a cyberattack, not unlike those we see in movies,…
How to Recognize Bad Intentions Issue 176, September 5, 2024 They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. So, is the road to paradise paved by bad intentions? As absurd as that may sound, being aware of any bad intentions (as opposed to assuming good intentions) may pave a better way forward. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, emotionally, psychologically and in the case of business, strategically. Organizations are complex interconnecting systems. The human system within…