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The Power of Optimism in Organizational Storytelling

The Power of Optimism in Organizational Storytelling Issue 174, August 22, 2024 We become the stories we tell as do organizations (companies, governments, non-profits and the like). The more we tell them and elaborate on the narrative, the more we believe them to be true and represent who we are in our purpose, relationships and how we use our energy mentally and physically. These stories can become family legends, cultural origin stories, national histories, and an epic organizational tool. Psychologist…

Dynamics at Play: How to Leverage Determinants

Dynamics at Play: How to Leverage Determinants Issue 173, August 15, 2024 Last week we wrote on trends, cycles and determinants, giving a new twist on understanding the process of change and transformation. To quickly review, determinants are the underlying elements that shape cycles and ultimately determine outcomes (positive, negative or neutral). As we navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, the ability to distinguish between trends, shifts, and determinants shaping our environment becomes ever more crucial. Also important…

Independence Day 2024 Reads: Become an Independent Thinker

2040’s Independence Day Reads: Become an Independent Thinker Issue 167, July 4, 2024 We’ve all got summer reading lists. Ours is understandably eclectic. In celebration of Independence Day, we thought it timely to share a selection of our most popular newsletters; what they have in common (no surprise) is independent thinking, which is a useful skill in our admittedly confusing times. If the recent presidential debate showed room for improvement in critical thinking and credibility, our readers put those themes…

Are You a Renaissance Leader?

Are You a Renaissance Leader? Issue 166, June 27, 2024 Just when you thought leaders have been disintermediated by demanding younger employees who want a seat at their bosses’ tables, these leaders are more important than ever. So much has been reported and written about working to live, life/work balance, and the quality-of-life fulfillment of remote work that managers and their roles have been shoved to the side. But in truth, leaders have their work cut out for them. The…

Looking Ahead: 2024 Runway

Looking Ahead: 2024 Runway Issue 162, May 30, 2024 We know that the second half of 2024 starts in a month, but we want to get a jump on what to pay attention to for the rest of this tumultuous year. As we move into summer mindsets to rest and restore, it’s a good time to process and plan for when fall arrives. Being mindful of what lies ahead ensures an ability to adapt our approaches and solutions, recognizing so…

Why Strategic Re-Think Is Today’s Prerequisite Strategy

Why Strategic Re-Think Is Today’s Prerequisite Strategy Issue 158, May 2, 2024 Although it seems counterintuitive in today’s dynamically changing marketplace, many organizations still live, breathe, and sometimes die by their static three- or five-year strategic plans. It takes so much work and time to develop these long-term plans, often structured more as a laundry list of aspirations, that they are hard to let go of. This multi-year term model is often disconnected from the actual capability or capacity of…

The Importance of Language in Organizational Transformation

The Importance of Language in Organizational Transformation Issue 157, April 25, 2024 Think about this for a moment. The English language we speak is referred to as Modern English dating back to 1450. It’s related to the emergence of the printing press and was adopted through the expanded volume of printed materials including Shakespeare in the late 1500s and the King James Bible in 1611 (study.com). That was over 570 years ago. If you’re following us here, it might dawn…

The Value of Reflective Decision-Making

The Value of Reflective Decision-Making Issue 155, April 11, 2024 Admit it, most of us are stressed out and often filled with anxiety. We are time-pressed. Overbooked. Distracted. Confused. Dumbfounded. Surprised. And potentially even trending to pessimism. We are trying to make sense of events we can’t control that are hurtling toward us daily through our news feeds. A Moment in Time We’re also grappling with the speed of change in the digital economy and our connected society. The news…

Reactive Decision-Making, Social, and Youth

Reactive Decision-Making, Social, and Youth Issue 154, April 4, 2024 We’re worried about the members of our younger generations – your customers, employees, children, and family members. We’re worried as well about the kneejerk attempts of some of our leaders and those with influence to solve what is perceived as a problem without truly understanding it or the consequences of the solution they attempt to put into place. Reactive States of Mind Post-pandemic society appears to be in reaction mode,…

Are We Playing Monopoly as a Society?

Are We Playing Monopoly as a Society? Issue 153, March 28, 2024 Big tech has been taken to task repeatedly often without a complete understanding of who they are, what they do and how their business model functions. For many, it seems elusive to understand their motives, wrapped up in proprietary strategy. And frankly, just about no one (certainly not the average individual) can figure out what they’ve been up to and what their intentions are. Are they out to…