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




First of a Kind: Managing to Accelerate Outcomes and Mitigate Risks
Special attention is required for all "First of a Kind" projects, job roles, processes, and tools. This is often overlooked, slowing down progress and creating unnecessary risks for contractors.
Issue 3 of 9: Relationships
Construction Ownership Transition Issue 3 of 9: How Strong are the Post-Transition Relationships with Customers, Employees, Vendors, and Subcontractors?
Good or Bad is Just Perception
“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” - William Shakespeare It’s too easy to frame things that happen as good or bad. Try to frame things simply as events and accept that you can choose to perceive them however you want.