Clayton Christensen eloquently takes the conventional business idea of marginal thinking and applies it to personal decision-making, in this Harvard Business School piece. We may think that making a decision to cross our personal boundaries “just this once” might have a low/marginal cost, but when we begin to weigh the actual costs, we could end up bankrupt or down the rabbit hole of lies and deception. Christensen asks us to question our personal values and morals. That's what the devil and angel on our shoulders are for, right? How do you … [Read more...]
Guthrie Theater’s debt to women and diversity
Do nonprofit cultural organizations have a particular responsibility to reach into and represent all parts of the community? Does the benefit of nonprofit status require us to take more risks than commercial theatre? A recent article explores the Minneapolis community’s reaction to the lack of diversity in a local theatre’s upcoming season. While this piece focuses on the choices of one artistic director, other leaders in the field have also argued that not all organizations should feel obligated to be diverse. On the other hand, leadership … [Read more...]
A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Making Complex Decisions
Giving our minds time to process information when not consciously focused on the decision facing us can result in better outcomes, especially for more complex decisions. A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Making Complex Decisions - Harvard Business Review … [Read more...]
Outcome vs Process Oriented Thinking
Recently, I had cause to dig through some research on outcome vs process based thinking and decision making. The research is primarily in consumer behavior; however, it has a broader application. It provides another way of thinking about or classifying communication styles. And, it gives us an opportunity to examine our own thought processes and ways of communicating. So, for those of us who are still trying to figure out why we get option stress or move quickly to decisions that appear to our staff and/or board as unexpected leaps, I offer … [Read more...]
Strategic decisions: When can you trust your gut? – McKinsey Quarterly – Strategy – Strategic Thinking
Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and psychologist Gary Klein debate the power and perils of intuition. An interesting analysis of the role of intuition in decision-making. We often hear people argue that in the end, they 'go with their gut.' Or by contrast, they're 'driven by data.' Is intuition more reliable under certain conditions? Strategic decisions: When can you trust your gut? - McKinsey Quarterly - Strategy - Strategic Thinking. … [Read more...]
The case for behavioral strategy – McKinsey Quarterly – Strategy – Strategic Thinking
This is a really interesting interactive feature on the cognitive biases that most impact decision-making in organizations. By analyzing the top 5 biases listed and their components, leaders will be able to recognize these issues in their own organizations and develop processes to address them. The case for behavioral strategy - McKinsey Quarterly - Strategy - Strategic Thinking. … [Read more...]