Weekly Download 15.10

Here’s a recap of news and notes from around the Web that caught my attention over the past week or so.

First there was the bullwhip effect. Now, the new concept is called the Cobra Effect, a similar lesson expressed in a different way. I like it. These “effects” underscore that you need to understand the broader context (system) to effectively solve the problem. Systems thinking is a critical management and leadership skill.

Guilty as charged: I have lots of “Baker-isms.” None of them are original or unique, but supposedly there is at least one list being kept. It figures that this summary of crazy work-related phrases caught my eye. How many do we use within our organizations and never even think about it? Perhaps we could start a “swear jar” and have to put in a quarter each time we’re caught using one.

What makes a great bagel? Here’s one analysis. Regardless of the science behind it, I can still practically smell the bagels I would pick up on a road trip from Evanston back to Wisconsin. Kaufman’s is the master, IMHO. My local resident expert (Steve Lipton) would even agree.