Connecting the dots Quote by Victor Cheng
““When a consultant delivers a well-synthesized recommendation, she usually has done two things well. First, she has put the recommendations in context. Instead of simply recommending that the client do X, a well-synthesized recommendation will recommend that the client do X because it will have ripple effects Y and Z, both of which are favorable. There may be concern about issue A, but the benefits of ripple effects Y and Z outweigh it. I call this process of highlighting all the ripple-effect ramifications of a particular course of action connecting the dots. Great synthesis connects all the dots, clarifying what likely will happen if the client follows—or ignores—the recommendation.””
About This Quote
Effective consulting ties recommendations to broader impacts, showing why they matter and anticipating outcomes.
In simple terms: Good advice connects to larger effects.
Key Takeaway
Link advice to its ripple effects.
Themes
consulting
strategy
communication
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
professional
educational
When to use this quote
- business planning
- policy development
- project management
Key Concepts
systems thinking
decision analysis
risk assessment
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you evaluate indirect consequences?
- What data helps forecast ripple effects?
A Different Perspective
Complex ripple effects can be hard to predict accurately.
![“[About the great synthesis of atomic physics in the 1920s:] It was a heroic time. It was not the doing of any one man; it involved the collaboration of scores of scientists from many different lands. But from the first to last the deeply creative, subtle and critical spirit of Niels Bohr guided…” quote by J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/34e/j-robert-oppenheimer-6978_bohr_about-the-great-synthesis-of-atomic-phys_427709.jpg)
