Dave Oventhal
When Poor Planning Meets Reality

In the March/April 2024 issue of Car & Driver magazine, Jamie Kitman points out the gains and pains within the current four-wheel EV landscape. Kitman’s Upfront article, Alternating Current provides the painful reality of “piss poor planning” (my words, not his) within the hallowed walls of auto OEs, again. As history seems to always repeat itself, once again the lack of reality has bit auto manufacturers in the ass. When global governments started mandating zero-emissions by 2035, the OEs’ jealousy of Tesla gained unprecedented momentum.

When Poor Planning Meets Reality

de bono

A Positive Revolution

A Positive Revolution

We are living in interesting times to say the least. More people are being lifted out of poverty and ongoing technology and science innovations are changing lives for the better. As we live in a time of incredible wealth, longer lifespans, and unimaginable progress, we seem to be moving backwards in terms of morality, caring for others, and a sense of community. Due to the ability of those who hate and blame others having a strong voice via social media and various digital outlets, we are at a pivotal moment in time, to stop the progression backwards and move to a positive and more creative future. If we do not demand change and create change, we will continue to slide into a world based on hate, division, and isolation.

The Black Hat and Critical Thinking

The Black Hat and Critical Thinking

An excellent tool for decision-making, problem solving, new idea generation, or effective meetings is The Six Thinking Hats (Hats). Developed by Dr. Edward de Bono, the Hats are the cornerstone of de Bono’s parallel thinking theory: separate thinking to ensure participants work in parallel (together) to achieve the optimal solution.

Creative Alternatives

Creative Alternatives

A great method to drive innovation throughout the organization is to constantly search for alternative ways of doing business. A key part of the de Bono Thinking Systems is the use of alternatives. Creativity is about finding alternatives, different ways of doing things. Too often we are satisfied with the current state and avoid any effort for improvement. Before we realize it, our sales are declining and customers are moving to our competitors. We should always be looking for new ways to improve a product, process, or business operation. Not just when problems occur or during special situations, but always, every day!