Can't Read the Label From Inside the Jar

By definition it is impossible for any of us to know what we don’t know.

D. Brown Management

July 2, 2018 2 minute read

Quote: You can't read the label from inside the jar.

We could be in the top 5% inside our domain and better off spending time scaling the machine rather than perfecting it.
We could be missing something major and not be able to see it.
We could be in a very high-leverage position where even a small improvement could have a huge impact.
We could be missing so much context for the model that we have difficulty seeing how new information fits in thereby limiting our Situational Awareness.

Who are the top 5 people inside your organization that help each other refine your models of projects, your company and the industry?

Who are the top 5 people you are mentoring and coaching to help them refine their models?

Who do you turn to on the outside of your organization that is experienced and unbiased to help give you perspective?

Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (The OODA Loop)

The OODA Loop is a decision-making framework originally developed for the military to make agility a competitive advantage. The focus on fast, localized decisions in rapidly changing environments aligns well with construction projects and businesses.

management strategy talent

Balancing Short-Term Crisis Management with the Mid and Longer-Term

A recession post-COVID is a likely enough scenario that it must be planned for. Recessions reorder the market and competitive landscape; ensure you earn the place you want.

business planning COVID-19

Aligning Strategic Market Choices and Project Delivery Methods

Choosing which market(s) to compete in and which to avoid are the most highly leveraged decisions the leaders of construction businesses make. Integrated with those is choosing the optimum project delivery method(s) to focus on.

CMAR market strategy project delivery