Step one on the path to democracy thinking: The choice between democracy or monarchy is not an either/or decision because they are not opposites. These are two entirely different ways of thinking. Where we choose to put our focus makes a huge difference. Choosing the path to democracy will first make life 2x, then 4x, then 8x better. But choosing the path to monarchy will first remove half of our options, then half of what’s left, then half again until we grind to a halt.

Accountability is one of the biggest sources of waste. Focusing on winning actually generates more losers. It is possible to guarantee success using psychology-based shortcuts to understanding customers, Set-Based Design, MVPs, and “working backwards from the future.”

Have you ever solved a problem, only to have it return later? This article is about why that happens, how monarchy thinking causes this phenomenon, and how democracy thinking takes a completely different approach. I also introduce a Democracy 3.0 technique called the Prioritized Epic Problems (PEP) Debate. It boosts collaboration, eases bottlenecks, empowers employees, and provides alignment. It was designed to work inside monarchy organizations, making it more useful than Democracy 1.0 or 2.0.

Jobs are a leftover from monarchy thinking. Switching to roles provides more flexibility, turns deciders into advocates, and helps monarchs become mentors. It forms the fifth option in a system of checks and balances that allow Democracies and Monarchies to not only work together but also self-correct. Leveraging these decision points we can create environments of guaranteed success, regardless of the size of the project, industry, skill levels, and culture.

This article is about “Wrong”, “Right”, and “Irrelevant”, and the importance of metrics in unlocking potential 8x boosts in performance. I also talk about “leading” versus “lagging” metrics, how they relate to solutions and problems, and when to use each type of metric. Then I wrap up with advice on how to leverage decision point #3 inside Monarchy Thinking organizations to change directions and make life better for employees, customers, and leaders.

If things aren’t going as planned, Monarchy Thinking arrives at a single conclusion: remove opponents who are standing in your way. There is one final decision point that we can choose to avoid being the “messenger that gets shot”. It’s a story of Kanbans, obstacles, options, and escalations on one side, versus how to start a “no blame” culture on the other.