Critique #5: Not Normal
January 21, 2026
Summary
Critique #6 focused on the immediate and practical tension that the world has shifted, and many of the tools we rely on were built for a different context. Frameworks that once created clarity now feel rigid. Strategies that used to energize teams now stall. Andy named what several people had been experiencing—projects underperforming, leaders hesitating, decisions narrowing under pressure. The conversation turned toward whether the issue was flawed thinking, outdated tools, or a deeper change in the environment itself.
As examples surfaced, a pattern emerged around fear—specifically fear of loss. Loss of identity, credibility, budget, control, safety. Ambitious plans shrinking midstream. Boards freezing. Teams conserving energy. The group acknowledged fatigue and lower risk tolerance, while also exploring what remains within reach. Strategy cannot promise certainty, though it can provide clearer judgment, evidence, and small tests that reduce risk. The session closed with a steadier insight: progress begins when you understand what people believe they are about to lose and design with that reality in mind.
Selected Quotes
Naming the mood
“Things are not okay. Things are fucked up. Things don’t feel good. Things don’t work good.”
When good work lands badly
“You know you did something A-plus and it landed with like a D-minus.”
Questioning the tools
“Most of them were created and designed to work when things are normal. Do they work anymore?”
On using structure externally but not internally
“I still use a framework because it’s the only way I can present authority and trust in something. But I don’t use a framework to do the job anymore.”
On exhaustion
“We’re all just so tired.”
On uncertainty
“Everything just feels a lot less certain than before.”
On certainty vs strategy
“There is absolutely no such thing as certainty when it comes to strategy.”
On genius
“Genius hits a target no one else can see.”
On real fear
“People don’t fear change. They actually fear loss.”
On identity loss
“There’s also a change… the loss of their previous identity that they were proud of.”
On internal resistance
“Your client’s not going to sit there and say, ‘I’m afraid of losing this.’”
On opportunity inside chaos
“While everybody else is slowing down… you can slip through that space and get out in the front.”
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