Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Most transformation initiatives don’t stall from lack of effort—they stall because no one has identified the constraint everyone is working around.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Until this past Sunday, nobody had run an official marathon in under 2 hours (someone did this in 2019, but it wasn't following official marathon rules). But, in Sunday's London Marathon, both the first and second place men's winners did it. Besides talent, part of it was incremental advances in training, nutrition, and technology (they both wore the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, which are very light weight, cost $500, and are designed to last only 1 race). Also, they were lucky with the weather.

But, now, we are probably going to see more people run sub-2 hour marathons.

Fun fact: the first modern marathon record was set in 1908 by American Johnny Hayes. If he had run on Sunday, his record-setting time of 2h 55m 18s would have meant that he would have finished outside the top 2000 finishers.

I guess this is another example of how Alan Weiss says you can't coast because plateaus erode.

Sunday, April 26, 2026

Warriors on the Battlefield

Warriors meeting on the battlefield. Don't worry- they become friends once the get to know each other!

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Employee of the Month :-)

Monday, April 20, 2026

How my concepts of Strategic Simplicity® and my CLOUD Framework Work Together

A client recently asked me about the relationship between my signature approach, Strategic Simplicity® and my CLOUD Framework.

I first reminded her that I am an executive advisor, but specialize in one thing: identifying the key changes that lead to dramatic improvement. So, I don't provide generic strategic planning, executive coaching, or leadership training. I call my highly effective, surgical approach Strategic Simplicity®. It's a powerful scalpel to cut through the noise and informational overload of today's Attention Scarcity era.

If, during a session, my client is feeling overwhelmed by a large, complex transformation, or isn't sure which part of their organization we should apply Strategic Simplicity® to, then we can use CLOUD to scope out what we will focus on.

CLOUD stands for Change, Language, Operations, User, and Decisions. These are all process areas where applying Strategic Simplicity® can yield high leverage, and dramatically improve the business.

Fintech AI and A Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Here are two recent case studies from my executive advisor practice. On the surface, they appear wildly different, both in content and scale. But process-wise, they are the same, since I'm a process consultant, and my specialization is identifying the key changes that result in dramatic improvement.

Success Story: Fintech AI Triumph

A fintech CIO faced a $5M AI project stalled by scope creep. 
Using CLOUD, we phased the rollout, aligned with business goals, streamlined processes, simplified interfaces, and clarified decisions.
As a result, the client saved $400K and cut timelines by 20%.


Bridge Over Troubled Waters
A park district had a booth charging a fee to cross a scenic bridge into a wildlife area. The problem was that the line to cross really backed up.
I advised them to set up 3-4 stations back near the parking lot to take their cash and give them a token.  At the bridge, they simply collected the token to allow crossing.
As a result, a bottleneck was eliminated, and long lines ceased to be an issue.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Why I Work Like a Running Back: Strategic Simplicity® in Action

When large consulting firms tackle organizational change, they often look like a flashy, complicated passing offense. They draw up elaborate plays — new systems, massive process overhauls, cultural revolutions, and sweeping reorganizations. It looks impressive on the whiteboard, but it frequently disrupts the entire team, creates confusion, and has a low completion rate. The organization gets exhausted, and the big gains rarely materialize.
I take a different approach.
With Strategic Simplicity®, I work like a disciplined running back.
We don’t try to throw a 50-yard bomb on every play. Instead, we methodically identify the key changes — the right holes to hit — and execute simple, high-percentage runs. One reassignment here. One reframed conversation there. A smart incentive tweak or targeting an adjacent market at the perfect moment.
Most plays gain a steady 3–5 yards. They’re reliable, low-disruption, and build momentum. But because we pick the right spots with precision, we also break several long runs that move the chains dramatically.
Over time, those consistent small gains compound. The organization moves down the field with confidence, without getting battered or losing its rhythm.
That’s the power of Strategic Simplicity® — steady, surgical progress that adds up to dramatic improvement. If you’d like to experience this approach firsthand, I invite you to schedule a complimentary 30-minute session. Just email me and we’ll find a time that works.