Christian Ullrich
2026-05-18
Problem
People often begin solving a problem before checking whether useful guidance already exists.
Action
Identify relevant internal and external guidance before developing a new approach.
Outcome
You build on existing knowledge rather than starting from scratch unnecessarily.
Problem
Existing guidance may not always match the situation you are facing.
Action
Evaluate whether the available guidance applies to the current objectives, constraints, and context.
Outcome
You select guidance that is appropriate for the work to be performed.
Problem
Guidance often requires adjustment before it can be applied effectively.
Action
Adapt the guidance to reflect the specific circumstances while preserving its intended purpose.
Outcome
The guidance becomes more useful for the current situation.
Problem
Guidance creates little value if it remains documentation rather than influencing everyday work.
Action
Use the guidance while performing the actual work rather than treating it as reference material alone.
Outcome
Guidance becomes part of normal working practice.
Problem
Existing guidance does not always address every recurring situation.
Action
Identify recurring situations where useful guidance is missing or insufficient.
Outcome
You recognize opportunities to expand the organization’s guidance.
Problem
Weaknesses in guidance are often overlooked after the immediate work is completed.
Action
Record where existing guidance is unclear, incomplete, or difficult to apply.
Outcome
Opportunities for improvement become visible for future revisions.
Problem
Not every adjustment should become part of the shared guidance.
Action
Distinguish between changes that only solve a local situation and improvements that provide broader value.
Outcome
Shared guidance remains broadly applicable.
Problem
Useful improvements are often lost when they remain part of individual experience.
Action
Capture improvements that repeatedly make the guidance more effective.
Outcome
Successful experience becomes reusable guidance.
Problem
Guidance often explains what to do but omits practical details needed during execution.
Action
Add practical instructions, examples, and clarifications that help people apply the guidance successfully.
Outcome
The guidance becomes easier to understand and use.
Problem
Individual suggestions do not automatically improve shared guidance.
Action
Validate proposed improvements through practical use before incorporating them into the shared guidance.
Outcome
The guidance improves without reducing its reliability.
Problem
Useful guidance creates little value if team members cannot locate it when needed.
Action
Store team guidance where everyone can easily discover and access it.
Outcome
People spend less time searching for relevant guidance.
Problem
Relevant guidance is often overlooked because it is shared too late or not at all.
Action
Share existing guidance whenever similar work or recurring situations arise.
Outcome
People reuse proven approaches rather than unnecessarily developing new ones.
Problem
Teams often make decisions before considering existing guidance.
Action
Introduce relevant guidance at the outset of planning, discussion, and decision-making.
Outcome
The team makes better-informed decisions.
Problem
Written guidance alone is not always sufficient for successful application.
Action
Support teammates as they apply the guidance in their own work.
Outcome
People adopt the guidance more successfully.
Problem
Different team members often develop inconsistent ways of performing similar work.
Action
Encourage the team to consistently use and improve the same guidance for recurring work.
Outcome
The team develops more consistent ways of working.
Problem
Useful guidance often remains confined to the team that originally developed it.
Action
Identify guidance that can help other teams performing similar work.
Outcome
More people benefit from successful guidance.
Problem
Teams frequently solve similar problems without learning from one another.
Action
Connect teams facing similar situations so they can exchange relevant guidance.
Outcome
Knowledge spreads more effectively across the organization.
Problem
Successful guidance is often reused too narrowly.
Action
Introduce proven guidance to other teams that can benefit from it.
Outcome
Successful practices spread more quickly throughout the organization.
Problem
Independent adaptations can gradually create conflicting versions of the same guidance.
Action
Coordinate updates so that shared guidance remains consistent while allowing appropriate local adaptation.
Outcome
Teams continue working from a common foundation.
Problem
Different teams often independently create similar guidance.
Action
Encourage teams to build on existing guidance before creating new guidance.
Outcome
The organization develops better guidance with less duplicated effort.