Patagonia is a purpose led company. — In the nearly fifty years since they were founded, when confronted with inconvenient facts about the harm of some of their products they have consistently chosen to do the right thing, despite considerable short-term losses to their bottom line. Their values are; Build The Best Product Cause No Unnecessary Harm …

Humans develop cognitive heuristics over time — a fancy term for mental shortcuts. These shortcuts allow us to visually scan patterns that help find important information, fast, which aids decision making. We’re pattern seekers We all have a tendency to perceive meaningful connections between un-related things. …

You’re more aware of burnout than ever, right?! If I was a betting man, I reckon the odds on you saying “Yes” would be pretty unappealing. Definition The World Health Organisation (WHO) currently define burnout as: “A syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Symptoms …

I couldn’t sleep the other night so I picked up my phone…Terrible idea but we’ve all been there, right?! 2 hours later I knew the ins & outs of the Challenger & Columbia space disasters and the recent Boeing 737 Max crises… All extremely sad examples of decisions leading to…

The previous article touched on sensemaking. Here we’ll wrap up with a brief example of why storytelling doesn’t just apply to children. If you’ve ever spent time in a mountain hut, you will hear staff, climbers & guides constantly sharing stories around conditions, forecasts, routes, placement of gear etc. …

The prior article provided real examples of adapting climbing approaches to in various environments. Here, we’ll explore sensemaking in the mountains. If I don’t pay attention to the reality of where I am when training for, in the lead up to or during a climb, I’m dangerous. I have to…

The previous article explored the relevance of bounded applicability in both climbing and business using mostly theoretical examples. This post offers 3 very real examples in an attempt to prompt reflection. I’ve included a series of images from three recent-ish climbing trips below. When looking at the images, I encourage…

This article touches on the parallels between climbing and the business world. It also seeks to represent how in business, we often resist adjusting our approach to the environment and how this differs to climbing. “Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and…

Almost every company wants to become nimble & responsive. — Not to mention efficient, profitable, secure etc. To confirm, the goal is to become nimble & responsive by being deliberate & focused, right? This means the goal isn’t to adopt ‘agile’ or ‘lean’ to: Write epics & user stories Work in sprints Estimate with story points Have a daily stand-up …