Adrian Cowderoy

Applying intelligence practices to industry

Legacy note. This page is retained for existing readers and site users. It reflects open research undertaken while developing espionage fiction, together with later professional reflection. The website now concentrates on fiction and the questions it raises.

While writing fiction, I discovered the methods used by the intelligence profession can be applied in the normal workplace to handle challenges that were previously intractable.

A poetic circle. I’m a creature of two worlds. My career over the last 25 years has been in management, handling ambitious and difficult situations. My fiction writing has focused on espionage stories. But in recent years, my work has provided ideas for the fiction-writing, and the fiction has provided ideas for work.

Managing unknown-unknowns

Unknown-unknowns are the surprises that we couldn’t realistically have predicted as potential problems.

That’s different to the risks which we can list and manage. It’s also different to the improbable risks which we optimistically hope won’t happen (the known-unknowns).

Unknown-unknowns can be detected, even though we can’t describe them. There’s a sequence for researching suspicions to see if they’re risks or false leads. For those that we discover are risks, then conventional risk management techniques apply, and the “unknown” becomes “known”.

Handling project crises using intelligence-for-action

Technical projects can hit crises when the number of problems and risks (and unknowns) is overwhelming, and action is needed “now”.

Conventional project management techniques don’t work at speed where key assumptions change almost every day. However the intelligence profession had built a technique for this. Intelligence-for-action fits neatly with agile project management techniques.

Creating Workforce Capability Intelligence

Workforce Capability Intelligence help us understand what people are capable of achieving at work. The analysis allows managers to make better decisions for a spectrum of different areas. And  helps individuals progress their careers, or change them.

Central, is the quality of the intelligence and analysis. The cost for managers of getting it wrong is too high, when it comes to promotions, recruitment and reorganisation. And the human impact of bad decisions can be devastating for individuals. So we’re looking at achieving an order of magnitude improvement in reliability compared to today’s approaches.

This is the next step beyond Talent Intelligence, which focusses on learned skills and the potential to upgrade them. As well as skills, we now look at everything that can help build understanding: experience (breadth and depth), performance, behaviour, cultural fit and intent.

Workforce Capability Intelligence is a methodology (approach). It brings together multiple technologies, an extensive use of AI, and a careful use of human expertise.

Transforming visions into practice

Business entrepreneurs have ambitions that need to be developed into a profitable reality. Intrapreneurs in large companies have visions of change that needs to be “operationalised”. Political leaders see structural changes that need to be incorporated into existing systems. And social visionaries use public opinion and existing systems to bring about change.

I’ve worked with entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, converting their dreams to reality. And I watch the political leaders and thought leaders with fascination. The articles and stories coming here will explore visions, and how they’re converted into practice.