Juggling Giants

The proprietary element of our Board Evaluation toolkit developed by more than a dozen experienced directors and engineers under the chairmanship of Ian Beswick.

Juggling Giants allows boards and teams to safely explore various behavioural issues through role-playing and debates. This can help directors tackle difficult problems more effectively, creating an enjoyable learning atmosphere in the process. 

A sample of some key questions of Juggling Giants

What are the unwritten rules here?

What is really driving the corporate agenda?

Who is really in control of the strategic direction?

What are the time-consuming distractions?

What one change would you make in this business if you were CEO?

How are decisions made when priorities conflict?

Why use role-play?

Separating the issue from the business and reframing it in a business context where none of the team members is an expert can help release participants from entrenched viewpoints. Role-play gives participants the opportunity to draw out the behaviours needed to resolve knotty issues and to see an issue from several other viewpoints.

Resilient thinking requires the input of the problem-solving approaches typically found in a variety of disciplines

Psychology

This is immensely beneficial in understanding the behaviours of people.

Finance

Financing is a critical component in understanding a business's resources.

Engineering

Having a clear understanding of the capabilities in order to effectively utilise them.

Strategy

Gaining an insight into the future and how it might affect your business.

Drama

Creating engaging stories that leave a lasting impact.

Leadership

Leadership requires being comfortable in unknown territory.

We focus on the options

for dealing with knotty toxic totemic embedded anaemic issues.

Hover/tap to reveal the answer.

True or false?

There is value in having diverse thinkers in our boardroom.

True, but how well do directors listen to diverse views and how does the Chairman draw out these views? 

True or false?

We know how to debate issues and assess risks in the proposals that are presented in our board meetings.

True, but how do you genuinely deal with toxic, totemic or embedded issues when none of the known options will give a good outcome? 

True or false?

We know the difference between absence of evidence and evidence of absence?

True, but how do you encourage executives to discuss issues when there is no evidence that you have those challenges/opportunities in your organisation.

True or false?

We know the “map is not the terrain” (King & Kay)

Unsure? When you rely on models to help you make your decision remember that the model is just a model and the real world has other plans!

True or false?

We know the personality and risk type of fellow board members (The Risk Compass)?

Unsure? Familiarity bias and group think can be real challenges in board rooms, but we can use familiarity to be vigilant to colleagues responding in an unexpected manner.