How government leaders can take more risks
Senior government leaders appear hesitant to make decisions or convert risks into opportunity even when presented with data that justifies a certain decision. Why?- Supervisor (GS-14), U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dec 16, 2011
The Washington Post
By Tom Fox
Dec. 9, 2011
Decision-making is difficult in any organization given incomplete information, competing stakeholder demands and tight timeframes bearing down on leaders who are responsible for making any final call. And when you consider the impact, scrutiny and other constraints in government, it’s not surprising that they are hesitant to make decisions.
As a federal leader, or an adviser who is supporting one, the challenge comes in embracing the technique employed by some of our world’s best innovators – shrinking the risks associated with any decision. In his book, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge From Small Discoveries, Peter Sims offers valuable insights from the world of innovation and describes how federal leaders can avoid the pitfalls while moving in a positive direction.
Using examples as diverse as comedian Chris Rock’s process for developing new jokes, architect Frank Gehry’s approach to designing new buildings and Army Brigadier General H.R. McMaster’s strategies for effectively engaging Iraqi citizens in securing the country, Sims shows that successful innovators shrink their problems and risks to a manageable size as a means of improving the outcomes of their final decisions.
Read more
Dec 16, 2011
The Washington Post
By Tom Fox
Dec. 9, 2011
Decision-making is difficult in any organization given incomplete information, competing stakeholder demands and tight timeframes bearing down on leaders who are responsible for making any final call. And when you consider the impact, scrutiny and other constraints in government, it’s not surprising that they are hesitant to make decisions.
As a federal leader, or an adviser who is supporting one, the challenge comes in embracing the technique employed by some of our world’s best innovators – shrinking the risks associated with any decision. In his book, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge From Small Discoveries, Peter Sims offers valuable insights from the world of innovation and describes how federal leaders can avoid the pitfalls while moving in a positive direction.
Using examples as diverse as comedian Chris Rock’s process for developing new jokes, architect Frank Gehry’s approach to designing new buildings and Army Brigadier General H.R. McMaster’s strategies for effectively engaging Iraqi citizens in securing the country, Sims shows that successful innovators shrink their problems and risks to a manageable size as a means of improving the outcomes of their final decisions.
Read more