Contexts
Differ
Friction
Rhymes
Another great idea to explore
Some of the work I’m most drawn to starts the same way:
» A complicated environment.
» A lot of moving parts.
» No obvious single answer
What interests me is learning how the system actually works, where the friction is hiding, and what could be rearranged to create more value.
What I do
I step into organizations without assuming I know the answer.
I learn how work, information, decisions, resources and responsibilities actually move through the operation.
From there, I look for useful leverage—ways to reduce friction or expense, recover capacity, improve an existing system, or create new value from what's already there.
The first job is understanding what actually exists.
The pattern
My work has moved across publishing, operations, technology, nonprofits, construction, education and community projects.
The settings have changed.
The underlying work hasn’t.
My work has moved across publishing, operations, technology, nonprofits, construction, education and community projects.
The pattern is already there
Different work.
Same underlying pattern.
I didn't arrive at this idea by inventing a new kind of work for myself. I found it by looking backward.
Across very different environments, I kept being drawn toward the same problems: understanding how something works, finding where its structure is creating unnecessary strain, and rearranging what already exists into something more useful.
Select work
Journal Newspapers
» Production redesign
» ~30% recurring cost reduction
» Overtime reduced 55%+
» ~$1M annual savings at maturity
The context keeps changing.
The work underneath it doesn't.
I didn't arrive at this idea by inventing a new kind of work for myself. I found it by looking backward.
Across very different environments, I kept being drawn toward the same problems: understanding how something works, finding where its structure is creating unnecessary strain, and rearranging what already exists into something more useful.
A familiar world.
A much bigger system.
I know enough about Signature Graphics to understand the world it operates in — but nowhere near enough to presume I understand the operation.
What makes it interesting is the breadth: production, prepress, mailing, logistics, transportation, marketing, customer relationships, equipment, people and capacity all interacting inside the same organization.
That's exactly the kind of environment I'd like to learn.
Where value might hide
» Reduce expense: Recurring costs, duplication, waste, unnecessary complexity.
» Recover capacity: People, equipment, information or infrastructure that could be used differently.
» Improve flow: Handoffs, communication, scheduling, decision-making, recurring friction.
» Create revenue: Existing capabilities that could support a new product, service, customer or market.
» Connect assets: Places where two things Signature already has become more valuable when considered together.
I don't know what
the projects are... yet . . .
And I don't think I should.
The opportunity isn't for me to arrive with a list of ideas from the outside. It's to get inside the operation, learn from the people who know it, understand what Signature already does exceptionally well—and then see what becomes visible.
Discovery is the first project.
Learn first. Build from there.
First three months:
» 3-4 onsite visits
Spend meaningful time inside the operation.
» Interviews + observation
Learn from people across departments,
roles & levels of responsibility.
» Between visits
Research, follow threads, test assumptions,
& organize what I’m learning.
» Monthly opportunity memo
Bring back a concise set of observations
& potential projects worth discussing.
» The goal is to understand Signature Graphics well
enough to begin identifying worthwhile opportunities.
Turn discovery into projects
SMALL
A contained improvement, correction or experiment that can be acted on relatively quickly.
MEDIUM
An opportunity requiring coordination, research or a defined implementation project.
LARGE
A more consequential opportunity involving meaningful savings, new revenue, structural change or new capability.
» Some move forward.
» Some wait.
» Some aren't worth pursuing.
Once an opportunity is selected, the work shifts from understanding the issue to carrying it forward.
Discovery becomes execution.
And I don't think I should.
The opportunity isn't for me to arrive with a list of ideas from the outside. It's to get inside the operation, learn from the people who know it, understand what Signature already does exceptionally well—and then see what becomes visible.
DISCOVER
⬇
FRAME
⬇
SELECT
⬇
EXECUTE
⬇
MEASURE
Some projects may take days.
Others may take months.
The important part is that each
project begins with enough
understanding to know what
problem is actually worth solving.
From discovery to execution
When I identify a worthwhile project, you decide if it deserves action.
Some projects may take days. Others may take months.
The engagement evolves around the work that proves worthwhile.
A flexible engagement
Begin with a 3-month discovery engagement.
From there, continue only if the work justifies it — shifting progressively from learning the operation toward executing selected projects. Over time, the balance should change naturally:
Heavy Discovery
⮑ Discovery + Execution
⮑ Primarily Execution
⮑ Wind Down
The engagement lasts as long as there is meaningful work to pursue. If another outside look becomes useful six months or a year later, we can start the cycle again.
Built to be useful, not permanent
The goal is not to become part of Signature Graphics’ permanent structure.
The goal is to enter with fresh perspective, identify worthwhile opportunities, help carry the strongest ones forward.
Then I step away when the value begins to thin.
If another outside look becomes useful later,
the cycle can begin again.
Another great idea to explore
Some of the work I’m most drawn to starts the same way:
» A complicated environment.
» A lot of moving parts.
» No obvious single answer
What interests me is learning how the system actually works, where the friction is hiding, and what could be rearranged to create more value.
Contexts Differ
Friction Rhymes
The pattern
My work has moved across publishing, operations, technology, nonprofits, construction, education and community projects.
The settings have changed.
The underlying work hasn’t.
I keep finding myself learning complicated systems, understanding how their pieces interact, and identifying places where a different arrangement can make the whole thing work better.
What I do
The first job is understanding what actually exists.
The pattern is already there
Different work.
Same underlying pattern.
I didn't arrive at this idea by inventing a new kind of work for myself. I found it by looking backward.
Across very different environments, I kept being drawn toward the same problems: understanding how something works, finding where its structure is creating unnecessary strain, and rearranging what already exists into something more useful.
Select work
Journal Newspapers
» Production redesign
» ~30% recurring cost reduction
» Overtime reduced 55%+
» ~$1M annual savings at maturity
The context keeps changing.
The work underneath it doesn't.
I don't need the next problem to resemble the last one. I need enough access to understand how the system works, why it works that way, and where something useful might be hiding in the relationships between its parts.
A familiar world. A much bigger system.
I know enough about Signature Graphics to understand the world it operates in — but nowhere near enough to presume I understand the operation.
What makes it interesting is the breadth: production, prepress, mailing, logistics, transportation, marketing, customer relationships, equipment, people and capacity all interacting inside the same organization.
That's exactly the kind of environment I'd like to learn.
Where value
might hide
» Reduce expense: Recurring costs, duplication, waste, unnecessary complexity.
» Recover capacity: People, equipment, information or infrastructure that could be used differently.
» Improve flow: Handoffs, communication, scheduling, decision-making, recurring friction.
» Create revenue: Existing capabilities that could support a new product, service, customer or market.
» Connect assets: Places where two things Signature already has become more valuable when considered together.
I don't know what the projects are... yet . . .
And I don't think I should.
The opportunity isn't for me to arrive with a list of ideas from the outside. It's to get inside the operation, learn from the people who know it, understand what Signature already does exceptionally well—and then see what becomes visible.
Discovery is the first project.
Learn first. Build from there.
First three months:
» 3-4 onsite visits
Spend meaningful time inside the operation.
» Interviews + observation
Learn from people across departments,
roles & levels of responsibility.
» Between visits
Research, follow threads, test assumptions, & organize what I’m learning.
» Monthly opportunity memo
Bring back a concise set of observations
& potential projects worth discussing.
» The goal is to understand Signature well enough to begin identifying worthwhile opportunities.
Turn discovery
into projects
SMALL
A contained improvement, correction or
experiment that can be acted on relatively quickly.
MEDIUM
An opportunity requiring coordination,
research or a defined implementation project.
LARGE
A more consequential opportunity involving meaningful savings, new revenue,
structural change or new capability.
» Some move forward.
» Some wait.
» Some aren't worth pursuing.
Discovery becomes execution.
Once an opportunity is selected, the work shifts from understanding the issue to carrying it forward.
DISCOVER
⬇
FRAME
⬇
SELECT
⬇
EXECUTE
⬇
MEASURE
Some projects may take days.
Others may take months.
The important part is that each
project begins with enough
understanding to know
what problem is actually worth solving.
From discovery to execution
When I identify a worthwhile project,
you decide if it deserves action.
Some projects may take days.
Others may take months.
The engagement evolves around
the work that proves worthwhile.
A flexible engagement
Begin with a 3-month
discovery engagement.
From there, continue only if the work justifies it — shifting progressively from learning the operation toward executing selected projects.
Over time, the balance should change naturally:
Heavy Discovery
⮑ Discovery + Execution
⮑ Primarily Execution
⮑ Wind Down
The engagement lasts as long as there is meaningful work to pursue.
If another outside look becomes useful six months or a year later, we can start the cycle again.
Built to be useful, not permanent
The goal is not to become part of Signature Graphics’ permanent structure.
The goal is to enter with fresh perspective, identify worthwhile opportunities, help carry the strongest ones forward.
Then I step away when
the value begins to thin.
If another outside look becomes useful later,
the cycle can begin again.