Don’t Wait for a Framework

Yesterday I wrote that it's okay to wait and see, to filter out the high-frequency noise. But what, exactly, should you wait for?

Stable times need managers; chaotic times need leaders

When things are stable, it's time to roll out the frameworks, the best practices, the tried-and-true management approaches. This is the bread and butter of management consultancies: They've applied the same process to hundreds of companies before, and there's no reason it won't work for _your_ company. There's room for nuance based on industry and stage, but those nuances are well understood, too.

When things are in flux? By the time you've sat through a 42-page PowerPoint on their 17-step methodology for rolling out AI in the Enterprise, the ground has already shifted under your feet. (Case in point: Microsoft reportedly encourages its own developers to ditch Copilot in favour of Claude.) The point of such frameworks is to codify what has been true and stable, which is why they fail at the tactical level when nothing is stable.

It's comforting to have a framework. The more complex, the better, because that must mean whoever dreamt it up knows their craft, right? Even better if it's so complex that it can only be applied after extensive (and expensive) training from certified specialists.

Right now, to make headway, you have to figure things out for yourself: Your business, your idiosyncrasies, your unique constraints. Not someone rolling up to tell you this has worked a hundred times before, so it damn well will work for you. Working with an expert still makes sense. Just make sure they're helping you navigate, not selling you a map drawn for someone else's territory.

Now is the time to find the durable truths and re-interpret them in light of what's changing. Among the doom and the hype, a genuine opportunity awaits.

And here's my 5-step framework to do just that. (Hah, just kidding.)