Locked Perception

Once you choose a story about why something happened, you stop looking for other explanations.

...and miss the real problems that will bite you again.

"We failed due to poor execution" blinds you to systematic problems. "We succeeded due to great leadership" blinds you to lucky timing. "We lost the deal because of price" blinds you to deeper customer concerns.

Each story blinds you and prevents you from seeing what really happened.

The first story you tell? That's the only story you can see.

The first story you tell? That's the only truth you'll believe.

The first story you tell? That's the lens through which everything else must fit.

This explains everything.

Why post-mortems miss the point.

Why do successful companies repeat failed strategies?

Why do we keep making the same mistakes?

The narrative becomes reality.

Even when the narrative is wrong.

What story are you currently locked into?