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The Imperfectionists

“An engaging collection of often novel and excellent advice for business leaders, which draws on the wisdom of long experience and on many memorable examples of decisions and their consequences. Imperfectionism is a powerful idea.”
– Professor Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate


“Under today’s conditions, the authors argue that real-time problem solving should be the heart of strategy development rather than theoretical frameworks, and they present a framework for this approach.” 
In Uncertain Times, Embrace Imperfectionism

The world is changing faster and faster, with increasing uncertainty and threat of disruption in every business and nonprofit segment. Conventional approaches to strategy development no longer work.

In this prequel to their Amazon-bestseller, Bulletproof Problem Solving, Conn and McLean introduce a novel approach to strategic problem solving in times of high uncertainty. Based on a decade of research and 45 new case studies, The Imperfectionists posits a dynamic approach to developing organizational direction under uncertainty based on harnessing six reinforcing strategic mindsets.

Imperfectionists are curious, they look at problems from several perspectives, and gather new data and approaches, including from outside their current industry. They deliberately step into risk, proceeding through trial and error, utilizing nimble low consequence and reversible moves to deepen their understanding of the unfolding game being played, and to build capabilities. Imperfectionists succeed with dynamic, real time strategic problem solving, confidently moving forward while others wait for certainty or make impetuous and foolish bets.

McLean and Conn’s The Imperfectionists is a breath of fresh air among books on business strategy. They correctly take problem-solving as the most crucial skill in the strategist’s toolkit and explore six different ways of thinking about difficult uncertain situations.

If your company is struggling with “strategies” that are just three-year budgets, get this book as quickly as you can. It will open your mind to powerful ways of dealing with uncertainty and complexity.

– Professor Richard Rumelt, author Good Strategy, Bad Strategy and The Crux

Media

Listen to STRIVING FOR IMPERFECTION on the Harvard Business Review Skydeck podcast.

 

Introducing the Bulletproof Problem Solving online course

Complex problem solving is the core skill for the 21st Century, the only way to keep up with rapid change.  But systematic problem solving is not taught in most universities and graduate schools. The online course covers the seven-step approach to creative problem solving developed in leading consulting firms. It employs a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to almost any problem, from strategic business decisions to global social challenges. Conn and McLean, with decades of experience at McKinsey, start-up companies, and environment-focused foundations, provide a toolkit with detailed, real-world examples.

Bulletproof Problem Solving Online Course

The Bulletproof Problem Solving online course is a comprehensive and interactive course that provides the user with key learnings from the best selling book, Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything. The online course provides insights from the Bulletproof Problem Solving authors, Conn and McLean.

The online course is a self guided, highly interactive course with 4-6 hours of content. The course is designed for people to work at their own pace and develop the problem solving skills employed at leading management consulting firms. There are many worked example problems to practice the 7-step process, as well as a bonus workbook to help solve problems from your own organisation.  

Bulletproof Problem Solving

The One Skill that Changes Everything

Charles Conn & Robert McLean

Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Indus trial Revolution (World Economic Forum, 2016).

Complex problem solving is the core skill for the 21st Century, the only way to keep up with rapid change.  But systematic problem solving is not taught in most universities and graduate schools. The book covers the seven-step approach to creative problem solving developed in leading consulting firms. It employs a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to almost any problem, from strategic business decisions to global social challenges. Conn and McLean, with decades of experience at McKinsey, start-up companies, and environment-focused foundations, provide a toolkit with 30 detailed, real-world examples. 

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