Epiphanies

There was a moment in my career when I realized I had been approaching RFPs in the wrong way. I thought RFPs were about demonstrating our expertise, the sophistication of our methodology, and the innovative nature of our work, while staying within the client’s budget constraints. It turns out that’s how you lose. Committees don’t […]

There’s a moment every consultant eventually faces — the quiet frustration of realizing that no matter how much data you show, how many times you explain it, or how clearly you map the financial impact… the client just won’t act. You see the train coming. You warn them — sometimes repeatedly — but they keep

In Epiphany 7: The Importance of Fundamentals and Root Causes, I wrote that almost every problem—whether technical, organizational, or strategic—can be traced back to a neglected fundamental or an untreated root cause. We don’t fail because we lack ideas or ambition; we fail because we abandon the basics that make progress repeatable. That idea came

Adjusting the Variables Without Challenging Their Authority On our podcast last week, our guest Jason Kilgore outlined a challenge many of us face in our organizations, where executives have already decided to replace team members with AI. The decision was made, final in their minds. They didn’t disclose the variables they used to arrive at

The Set-Up: When “Problems” Become Opportunities A few years ago, I was working on a global digital transformation project. After weeks of analysis, I compiled a readout deck for the executive sponsor prior to the broader audience presentation. It was filled with data, charts, and observations, then a comprehensive section called Challenges and Problems. I sent

How Operational Knowledge Becomes a Strategic Asset Many managers and employees view documentation as an unnecessary expense of time and resources, or worse, a bureaucratic obstacle to innovation. It’s something done for auditors, not operators. A compliance checkbox. A hassle. I used to think that way, too—until I was handed a mess. From Team Member

Why “Help Me Help You” Matters Most goals—whether business, organizational, or personal—depend on others. You can’t just demand action; you need to enable others to succeed in ways that also advance your objectives. This is not manipulation—it’s alignment. The phrase “Help me help you” became famous in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire. In it, Tom

In an earlier post, I wrote about why employees need to understand why—the importance of knowing the purpose behind the work. This one flips the lens. As consultants (or even internal advisors), we also need to understand why clients and other teams are doing what they do before we can make progress. Here’s the truth:

The first time I ever experienced a “Cover Your Ass” (CYA) boss was as a teenager working summer shifts at a trucking company with my father. The operations manager was the textbook definition. Every move he made prioritized self-preservation and avoiding blame above all else, even if it cost the company money or made the

In Epiphany 27, “Commander’s Intent: Leading with Clarity, Letting Go of Control”, I highlighted that effective leaders focus not on micromanaging the how things get done, but on conveying the why and the what—the intended outcome should be, not every task detail. But in the real world, especially in fast-moving organizations, intent is often implied—not