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580 words.
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How
to Quickly Spot What Is Really Going On
by Dov Gordon
Comment on
this issue:
http://ceotp.blogspot.com/
"Why don't
our
sales teams cooperate the way we need them to?!" "We
consistently miss our targets and we don't know what to do about
it." "No matter what our company does, the market reacts
negatively. They've come to hate us."
What is really
going on in these situations?
The best
management consultants, and indeed, the best business
leaders, are quick to zero in on what is really going
on. They can hear about a situation and almost instantly know
where to look and what questions to ask.
The secret is
simple: assimilate scores or even hundreds of mental
models. This allows you to (1) quickly identify the type
of situation you are observing and then (2) quickly determine where the
fulcrum is.
The better you
understand patterns and models, the easier it is to realize that “We
have a problem. The market hates us.†may not be a problem
at
all but a situation calling for some tough decisions. Problem
solving and decision making are two distinct processes and if you mix
them up things get worse.
When your two
teams of sales people don't cooperate as you'd like them to the
cause
is obvious: they don't perceive it to be in their
self-interest to do so. Exhorting, threatening and cajoling
may cause temporary compliance, but don't you
really want
commitment?
Continued
below:
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EXAMPLE
OF CLIENT RESULTS:
A client was
able to focus on improving the true leverage points in his
organization. We conducted interviews with employees on
multiple levels, turning up a number of previously "un-discussable"
issues. We made these issues discussable and gave them the
attention they required. Improvements
were
discernable immediately and continue adding up over time.
How could you
benefit from making un-discussables discussable?
------------------
Continued:
Charlie
Munger: The Wealthiest Management Consultant
Charlie
Munger, Warren Buffett's partner and the brains behind the brains
at
Berkshire Hathaway is probably the wealthiest process consultant
ever
to have lived.
When Munger
joined Berkshire Hathaway he had no particular training in
investment. Nevertheless Buffett said that Munger instinctively understood investment about as well as anybody I'd
ever
met.
But it
wasn't
instinct so much as self-training. Munger had spent decades
studying all sorts of models from a variety of disciplines including
mathematics, biology, psychology, economics, physics and others, always
working to understand their essence and how they apply to other
situations.
These models
form a mental filter through which he pours any problem, opportunity or
hypothesis looking for any rules, laws relationships or
violations. This is the skill that led Buffett to claim that "Charlie's got the best 30-second mind in the world."
The CEO
Thought-Provokerâ„¢ Bottom Line: It
isn't sufficient to be a content expert. You need to
understand the processes that form the web between the
content. The ability to look at a difficult situation and
accurately identify key causes, forces and incongruities will put you
well above your competitors and make you a superior leader.
The way to do this is to study patterns, models and processes.
The CEO
Thought-Provokerâ„¢ Questions:
i.
Does
your organization have clear processes based on sound research for
solving problems, making decisions and planning? If you think
about it, over 90% of a manager's time is spent on these three
activities. It pays to have clear mental filters.
ii.
Pop quiz: When people
disagree, they are disagreeing about only one of two things.
What are those two things? Post your answers to our
blog. (For the answer send me an email, or wait till next
issue.)
iii.
Possessing a range of mental models increases the odds of you
accurately defining the problem. Accurately defining the
problem is more than 80% of the solution. What is a problem
you’ve been struggling with? How have you defined the
problem? Generate one or two alternative ways to define the
problem and notice the new ideas and opportunities that suddenly appear.
The Gordon
Group works with
organizations just like yours, helping them look at their current
problems and opportunities through the appropriate mental filters.
Together we quickly spot what is really going on, locate the true
fulcrum and lift. Ask us how we can help you:
dovgordon@gmail.com
****
USEFUL
RESOURCES:
“The Real
Warren Buffett†by James O’Loughlin.
http://tinyurl.com/y4tuo8
An excellent book about Buffett that
also does a great job outlining how Charlie Munger’s “latticework
of
mental models†influenced Buffett and has played a pivotal role in
Berkshire Hathaway’s success.
Transcripts
of a speech by Charlie Munger: “The Psychology of Human
Misjudgment.†Contains many valuable insights.
http://tinyurl.com/4sfdv
An overview of some of Charlie
Munger’s Mental Models:
http://tinyurl.com/w8x9f
****
You can comment on this and
other CEO Thought-Provokersâ„¢ at our blog:
http://ceotp.blogspot.com/
Archives of The CEO Thought-Provokerâ„¢ are
here:
http://www.gordongroupec.com/articles.html
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Dov
Gordon
helps senior
executives at small and mid-sized companies around the world to earn
the respect and admiration of their marketplace. Clients
benefit from clarifying their strategies, sharpening their focus,
better decision making, improved teamwork and growing into great
leaders.
Management and
Strategy Consulting.
Executive
Coaching.
+++++++++
You
may republish and redistribute this article provided that you
include (1) the full article with the attribution at the end, (2) a
link to
www.GordonGroupEC.com
in the attribution and (3) You must notify us before
you use this piece to confirm this
is still available.
See our
recommended reading list at:
www.GordonGroupEC.com/books.html
Copyright 2006
© by Dov Gordon. All rights reserved.
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