Miles had just been promoted to his first position at the director level after two short years of working for a large manufacturer in a complicated, heavily regulated industry. What surprised him most about the culture of the company is how project-oriented the firm had become during his tenure as a manager.

Common practice was to assign a project team to study the details to the nth degree. Miles felt the phenomenon of analysis-paralysis was slowing down decision making, and he wasn’t alone in this opinion. His boss had chosen him for the new role in part because he was decisive and able to weigh options quickly. Those capabilities had borne fruit over the last year, allowing the company to capitalize on opportunities while its competitors were still evaluating the options.

Miles was certain that the power of his position would allow him to influence future decisions, but he was concerned about the team (and process) he’d inherited. He questioned whether they’d be able to operate with the agility that Miles felt the organization sorely needed. 

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