Leader’s Corner
Upstream Thinking . . . How to get early warning of the problem?
“A technician checks into a building at the front desk before fixing the elevator, but the clerk tells him there’s nothing wrong with it. Confused by who sent him, the technician clarifies that it was the new guy, IBM Watson, who sensed that the third elevator would malfunction in two days and alerted an engineer …
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Upstream Thinking . . . Where to find a point of leverage?
“I lurked outside our school on a chilly January morning, and when I saw Jabari’s mom drop him off, I commenced my project. Wearing jeans and fleece, carrying a backpack, and only about 5 feet tall, I easily blended in with students. . . . What I observed that day will never leave me.” ~ …
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Upstream Thinking . . . How to Change the System
“The future can’t be predicted, but it can be envisioned and brought lovingly into being. Systems can’t be controlled, but they can be designed and redesigned. We can’t surge forward with certainty into a world of no surprises, but we can expect surprises and learn from them and even profit from them.” ~ Donella Meadows, …
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Upstream Thinking . . . Uniting the Right People
“ . . . groups do their best work when they are given a clear, compelling aim and a useful, real-time stream of data to measure their progress, and then . . . leave them alone”. ~Joe McCannon Creating a culture where upstream thinkers are curious about the data and not only want to get …
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Upstream & Blueprint Connections
“Upstream efforts are those intended to prevent problems before they happen or reduce the harm caused by those problems.” ~ Dan Heath Let’s consider the difference between upstream and downstream actions. Downstream actions are easier to see and easier to measure. Upstream actions work towards preventing problems and/or reducing the impact of those problems; these …
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