Michael Lissack
Interventions for Precedent-Based Obstruction
1. Context Evolution Analysis : Create a structured comparison between past and present contexts to highlight relevant changes. Build a side-by-side analysis of: • Technology landscape: Then vs. Now • Customer expectations: Then vs. Now • Competitive environment: Then vs. Now • Economic factors: Then vs. Now 2. Reverse Precedent Challenge : Conduct thought experiments that imagine if past practice had been different: • "If we were founding the company today, would we es- tablish this practice?" • "If our strongest competitor acquired us tomorrow, which of our traditional approaches would they imme- diately change?" Implementation Example : When Netflix faced internal resistance to producing original content ("we've always been a distribution plat- form"), Reed Hastings implemented a Context Evolution Analysis that demonstrated how streaming technology had fundamentally changed the competitive landscape. This structured analysis helped transform precedent-based thinking into forward-looking strategies.
Interventions for Identity-Based Resistance
1. Identity Expansion Workshop : Facilitate structured exercises that broaden identity definitions rather than replacing them: • Document core identity elements that must be preserved • Identify flexible elements that could evolve • Develop narratives that connect proposed changes to enduring identity elements • Create "identity bridges" that show how evolution serves rather than threatens core identity
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