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?

Evaluation Categories and Weighting

Whether you are evaluating your own performance or someone else’s, it is important to start thinking about some of the higher level categories. The weight assigned to each of these depends on the stage someone is at in their career.

Four Levels of Integration and Optimization

Operational excellence must be a major component of every contractor’s strategy and baked into their daily behaviors. Optimizing at each of the four major layers requires different levels of thinking, technology, and time span.

business management technology

Building an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) Grand Slam

Defining consistently achievable standards for outcomes is tough. Defining and managing standards for how to achieve those outcomes is a home run. Integrating safety, quality, productivity, and talent development is the grand slam.

field management management productivity project management standards