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Companies usually hire consultants for two reasons: The first is their experience, having the benefit of solving a bunch of different problems over time. The second is their point of view. Consultants are great at abstracting principles and ideas into frameworks that can be broadly applied in a variety of situations. By operating within the constraints of frameworks, consultants have learned to more effectively arrive at problems and identify potential solutions faster than if they were winging it the entire time. While it’s extremely difficult to replicate that first benefit since there really is no replacement for experience and pattern recognition, you can take advantage of the second. Many organizations have published their frameworks and made them freely available, allowing you to implement them yourself in your own situations and benefit from their experience. In this video, we’re going to talk about how to do that.
Hi, my name is Sean Johnson. For years, I was a founding partner at Manifold, a venture holding company in Chicago, and for nine years, I was a professor at Kellogg in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship group. In my experience, most people are winging it most of the time. Most organizations are loosely organized chaos: meetings run long with no discernible purpose or clear action steps; initiatives are loosely organized, often devolving into the opinion of the loudest person in the room. This presents a tremendous opportunity for you or for anyone that understands the power of frameworks and can learn how to leverage them effectively.
Framework thinkers are great at bringing clarity to situations because frameworks can focus everyone’s thinking and drill down into the essence of a problem. Frameworks allow you to make faster decisions. There is rarely one right answer or one best way to do something, and you can get a lot of benefits simply by learning how to make good enough decisions more quickly, and frameworks are great at facilitating that. As you learn how to internalize and deploy these frameworks in a variety of situations, you become the sane voice in an organization that otherwise is full of chaos. You might not have all the answers, but you gain an ever-increasing toolkit that allows you and your team to arrive at good answers. In the process, your peers will notice, your boss will notice, and future hiring organizations will notice.
One of the great things about frameworks is that they’re actually easy to find. Companies and institutions have learned there’s a tremendous amount of power in taking their knowledge, packaging it into a framework, and distributing it widely. Rather than hoarding frameworks or that knowledge, organizations benefit by distributing it because as more people and organizations become aware of and deploy a framework, it becomes synonymous with a best practice in a particular domain. The organization that created the framework benefits, their brand is enhanced, and they gain from its widespread utilization. The pinnacle is when a framework becomes institutionalized in higher education and MBA programs around the world. This is great for you because it means you don’t need an MBA to acquire these frameworks—they’re relatively easy to come by.
A few years ago, when Manifold decided to professionalize our advisory business, we brought in senior consultants from PwC, BCG, and other firms to benefit from their pattern recognition and experience in scaling a professional services firm. One of the things that became immediately apparent was how effectively they leveraged frameworks. I became a student of these frameworks myself. You can access some of these in a document I’ve created, which includes examples and considerations. I encourage you to build your own library of frameworks over time. Identify companies or individuals known for solving similar problems, and explore their methodologies. Learn about the framework’s purpose, when it’s most useful, and its limitations. Case studies are particularly helpful as they show how a framework was applied in real-world situations.
As you explore these frameworks, summarize what you learn in a document. Include the name, purpose, methodology, examples, and case studies, which allows for easy reference later. Teaching frameworks to others is another great way to internalize your learning and build credibility. Share insights in meetings or create presentations to institutionalize the framework in your organization. Once you’ve identified a framework, start implementing it. Begin casually in small settings, suggesting it as a potential idea worth trying. This approach allows you to test frameworks and earn credibility before presenting them formally.
When proposing any idea for change, remember colleagues evaluate not only the idea itself but also your ability to implement it. This is why frameworks, backed by external credibility (e.g., McKinsey), can be persuasive. By drafting off the authority of recognized organizations, you increase the likelihood of adoption, even if the framework’s initial implementation is clunky. As you iterate and refine, you gain more experience and confidence.
Eventually, as your organization adopts frameworks, you might modify them to better fit your unique needs. This innovation can result in proprietary methodologies, providing value to your company and enhancing your personal brand. Frameworks can become a key part of your company’s IP, enabling growth and distinction in the market.
In summary, becoming a student of frameworks and applying them in diverse situations not only positions you as a problem-solver but also enhances your organization’s capabilities. The more you practice, the more your expertise grows, and the more opportunities you’ll have to lead, teach, and innovate within your domain.
