Appendix

The eleven reasons or causes for every corporate issue, in my experience and in no particular order:

1. Searching for blame instead of cause.

2. Failing to find cause before seeking a fix.

3. Making decisions without assessing risk.

4. Trying to form teams (and create “team building”) when the groups are actually committees.

5. Failing to monitor performance or using poor evaluation methods.*

6. Confusing strategy with planning (“strategic planning” is an oxymoron).

7. Bouncing back and forth between strategy and tactics without realizing it.

8. Refusing to make tough decisions and exacerbating the problem.

9. Focusing on task and input instead of outcome and result.

10. Failing to listen adequately to customer feedback.

11. Missing the distinction between cause and effect, preventive action and contingent action.