Radical Outcomes: How to Create Extraordinary Teams That Get Tangible Results

In the chaotic world of modern work, many of us feel as if we're caught in a relentless storm of information, meetings, and expectations that never seem to align with real results. Imagine a conference room where executives and managers gather, each with their own urgent demands, yet the outcomes remain elusive. They feel as if they're trying to turn a massive battleship, slow and cumbersome, in a sea of rapid change. This sensation is not unique; it permeates organizations large and small.

This feeling of insanity manifests differently depending on where you stand in the organization. Executives see their investments in enablement and training vanish without clear returns. Teams responsible for creating learning materials are overwhelmed by requests and under-resourced, struggling to prioritize what truly matters. Meanwhile, the audience — the employees on the front lines — are bombarded with an unmanageable flood of information, leading to disengagement and confusion.

Why does this happen? One core reason is the assumption that more content equals more learning. But human brains are not designed to absorb vast amounts of information instantaneously. Cognitive science tells us that our minds operate through two systems: System 1, which is fast and intuitive, and System 2, which is slow and analytical. When overwhelmed, System 1 takes over, relying on old habits and autopilot, making real change difficult.

Consider the analogy of trying to add a massive new book to a stack of already heavy volumes of knowledge. Instead of integrating smoothly, the new book falls off, its pages scattered and forgotten. This is what happens when employees are flooded with too much information too fast.

Organizations often spend billions on learning and development, yet only a small fraction of these investments are tied to measurable business outcomes. This disconnect leaves leaders wondering if their money is simply disappearing into a black hole.

However, this is not a tale of despair but one of awakening. Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward meaningful change. By understanding the limits of how people learn and the systemic issues in how organizations approach enablement, we open the door to new ways of working that are more human, more effective, and more aligned with business goals.

As we move forward, we will explore a structured process that balances creativity with discipline, much like a jazz ensemble that improvises within a framework, to produce extraordinary results. This journey begins with understanding the process itself, so let's dive into how deliberate structure can transform chaos into harmony.