Black Box Thinking

Failures, mistakes and problems are part of every contractor’s business.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

They are part of everyone’s day.  What separates out high-performing teams is a relentless focus on learning from these problems then creating systems and training to mitigate them in the future.  

Talent Development Tools: Root Cause Analysis and Improvements. Quote: Ego is about who's right. Truth is about what's right. Mike Maples Jr. Book: Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed.

Low-performers look for “Who” did something wrong.

Low-performers put quick fixes in place and move on.

Low-performers avoid talking about failures, problems and mistakes openly.  


High-performers view every failure, problem or mistake as an opportunity to learn. 

High-performers ask lots of questions to identify the root cause of what happened.

High-performers then make plans to adjust for the next cycle.  

High-performers raise up the whole team by creating new standards, processes and training when they find a better way.  


Black Box Thinking was recommended to me by Sujata Bhide and dives much deeper into this topic.  

We spend a lot of time with our clients helping their teams develop great skills at Root Cause Analysis + Improvements.  Never easy; always worth it.  

Learn more




Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Human Motivations)
Understanding human motivation is critical for all levels of management and leadership, starting with managing ourselves. There is no single "Perfect Model" defining what motivates every person but there are some great models to help our understanding.
Cash Flow Myth 3 - Having Enough Capital
We have enough capital to not worry about Cash Flow. From the time this type of thinking starts to permeate the organization it is just a matter of time before there will be a cash flow crisis.
What Must Be True...
Asking the right strategic questions will ensure profitable growth in all economic conditions. Daily operational management is about adapting to what is currently true. Effective executive leadership creatively bridges the gap between the two.