shortcuts

I love having breakfast meetings. What could be better than catching up at a lovely outdoor cafe, sharing insights and new ideas over a latte and scrambled eggs?

Today I had the pleasure of catching up with Peter Hurley. Besides covering ground across work, family and life, we also ended up talking about ChatGPT.

The technology is incredible, and astounding in how many applications and ways it can reduce time and drive efficiences. In marketing. In business. In learning. In life.

But is there a downside or a greater cost that we are not thinking about?

Pete and I laughed how our kids don't need to learn how to spell because they have Grammarly and prefer undecipherable text acronyms anyway! Our daughters both have their L driver permits and will never need to learn how to read a physical map while driving (yes - I was one of those people who had to turn it around to figure out what direction I was going in!)

But when we skip a foundational skill, does this undermine more critical skills?

Which led us to talking about strategy in business today.

I learnt business strategy the hard, foundational way. By writing P&G "1 page memos." I must have spent weeks (possibly months) on writing a single-page memo. Because to do this, you had to be really good at analysing data, understanding cause and effect across complex variables and distilling this into clear, precise statements with recommendations. And the Department Heads decided when it was good enough (you didn't get to mark your own homework). David Grebert was my manager, and I'm sure will attest to how long it took me to become good at it!

As frustrating as it was, that focus and expert feedback made me learn the multiple skills behind strategy. It is one of the most valuable skills in business, and one that I still use all the time.

Today, that discipline doesn't exist to the same degree. Companies have downsized, and teams have to juggle 20x more activities. Training has dramatically reduced. But in this case, strategy is an even more important skill (how else can you determine where to focus?)

As a capability expert, I think we are seeing more and more gaps in critical skills - which are becoming increasingly important - like strategy. That you can't become good at by "pressing a button" shortcuts.

Shortcuts are helpful when you already know how to do it. Not when you are learning.

Are we being clear about where a shortcut is adding value, or actually diminishing it?

I'd love to know what you think?