David J. Abbott

"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration," said inventor Nikola Tesla. Ever wonder why some managers get a critical task done in five minutes, while others flounder complaining endlessly for five weeks, or five months later? Ever feel that despite a barrage of communication that some co-workers just don’t seem to be in sync? Are Gen Z’s right to pull out of doing something when they say they “just don’t feel the vibe”?

“A plan is not a strategy. A strategy is not a plan,” advises Roger Martin. Do leading-edge firms like Google or Tesla do traditional five-year plans? Then, label them with the buzzword ‘strategic’? Does agility matter more than predicting the future with precision? Is it better to consider ‘plans’ living documents, revised as conditions change, rather than fixed commitments? What percentage of time do you think things go according to a plan?

“You can’t be seen, until you learn to see” -- marketing whiz, Seth Godin. Is "How can we reach more customers?" the first question to ask? Or, should one start by asking, "Which small group of customers can we understand so well that we become their obvious choice?" Is it true that "No business plan survives first contact with customers?" Are managers best described as: predicably irrational? And, does organisation change often start with just one person?