planning

Is Your Foundation Crumbling?

September 2, 2020

Is Your Foundation Crumbling?

Amsterdam is crumbling. The capital city of the Netherlands known for its winding canals, historic buildings and beautiful museums is suffering from cracks and sinkholes along its waterways. It was built between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries on a marshland by driving wooden stakes deep into the ground to provide a steady foundation upon which to construct the buildings. While newer buildings were set on concrete foundations, a significant portion of the city remains atop the historic stakes, whose age and quality have caused multistory houses to lean. (more…)

Plan to Be Wrong, But Still Plan

September 4, 2019

Priscilla Archangel

Change, Courage, Leadership, Planning, Priorities

Plan to be wrong, but still plan

“What if we’re wrong?” That was the question a senior leader asked his CEO as they were discussing business strategies and plans. “We probably are,” she replied, “but let’s move forward nonetheless.”

This conversation was recounted by the CEO of an $18 billion company recently. Like every organization, they were making major corporate investment decisions based on assumptions seeded by the best available information. These were long-term strategies developed to align with forecasts of customer needs and technological innovation, based on trends and predictions, and presuming an appropriate measure of volatility. In other words, they were making an educated guess. Some people freeze, waffle or delay in the face of such massive decisions, but leaders must ultimately take a position and move forward, frequently knowing that they’ll be wrong, or they have only a partial solution. But failing to prepare for the future isn’t an option. (more…)

Is Your Foundation Crumbling?

Is Your Foundation Crumbling?

Plan to Be Wrong, But Still Plan

Plan to be wrong, but still plan

Leadership Tips