Minimizing Risk

What do you think about risk? Are you someone who secretly enjoys risk? Or do you play it safe?

Martin Ramsay doesn't think we can ever eliminate risk. But, when it comes to business processes, we certainly can and should take steps to minimize it. In this brief video, Martin describes a simple "formula" he uses to think about process risk and the potential for negative consequences. The key is to start by recognizing where potential failures could occur, thus identifying points of risk.

Watch this video to get Martin's thoughts on his simple risk minimization formula and how it might apply to your work.



Be sure and check out Martin's previous blog entries.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

The Secret Life of Hummingbirds

Do you get all worked up over things that, in the long run, are just not that important? The secret life of hummingbirds can shed some light on having a broader perspective.



Be sure and check out Martin's previous blog entries.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

Putting Salt in their Oats

Complete this sentence: "You can lead a horse to water, but ..."

If you live in the USA, you probably know this adage. It speaks to human motivation and the limits to our ability to force anyone to do what we want them to do. A recent experience at CEATH Company's Pedagogy and Technology Conference leads Martin Ramsay to think about what his grandmother used to add to that old saying. Grandma Ramsay's addition puts a different spin on motivation. But you'll have to watch the video to find out what it is.



Be sure and check out Martin's previous blog entries.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

Check Your Customer Attitude

How do you view your customers? Do you see them as intelligent and informed, as people who you want to help make the right purchasing decision for them? Or do you view them with veiled distain, hoping to push them into purchasing something they may or may not want to buy?

The availability of information on the internet about our products and services is viewed by many with alarm: our customers know too much! But that point of view reveals how poorly we view our customers. In this video blog, Martin Ramsay uses the example of a small arts and crafts retailer to dig into the issue of our attitude toward our customers.



Be sure and check out Martin's previous blog entries.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

Build Internal Capabilities

One of CEATH Company's dozen or so basic operating principles involves "building internal capabilities." We want to see our clients better able to solve their own problems after an engagement with us than they were before we came. If we fail in that regard, then we have failed as consultants.

So many consultants don't understand this principle. They prefer to build a culture of dependency, one in which it becomes necessary for the client to call the consultant back, again and again. That may be good for business in the short term, but it is not good for the health of the client nor for the overall relationship in the long term.

The same thinking could be applied to companies and customers, governments and citizens, therapists and patients, and more. Watch this week's video blog to get Martin Ramsay's thoughts on building internal capability.



Be sure and check out Martin's previous blog entries.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

Unintended Consequences

"Be careful what you measure, because you may actually get it." In this video blog, Martin Ramsay counters conventional wisdom that says you should measure what you hope to accomplish.

There is truth in the idea of measuring what you expect to achieve, that you should "inspect what you expect." But sometimes the result has unintended consequence. Using a very real example from a CEATH Company manufacturing client, Martin suggests that measurements that are not extremely well thought out do not always achieve the desired goal and instead, drive organizational behavior toward something than is unintended, even counterproductive.



Be sure to use the cloud of tags to the right to find other related videos. For example, The Catfish Principle discusses being clear about your organization's purpose and Is Your Mission Your North Star? points out the role of an organization's mission in achieving its goals.

Be sure and check out Martin's previous blog entries.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

The Dangers of Becoming Risk Adverse

Continuing the complacency theme begun last week, Martin Ramsay talks about the dangers of becoming risk adverse in our work. Too much complacency has the potential for making us lazy and risk adverse, which may cause us to overlook new opportunities.



Martin encourages us to live a bit closer to reality, allowing ourselves the opportunity to fail. Only then can we also have the potential for great successes.

Be sure and check out earlier blog entries from the list on the right.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.

The Merlin Technique

Which is harder: to imagine the future you hope to create, or to figure out the path to get there?

You'll have to watch this video blog to find out, but here's a hint: the Merlin Technique is a clever way to help yourself and others figure out the path to a desired future. Along the way, you might even find yourself being motivated to get started on moving toward that vision of the future right now. Martin Ramsay discusses how to use the Merlin Technique as a way to describe that winding path that leads to where you want to go.



Be sure and check out earlier blog entries from the list on the right.

Sponsored by CEATH Company.