The Biggest Secret Knowledge in Business

Is the stuff that ought to work, but doesn't.

So says GMU economist Arnold Kling in this interesting TCS Daily article. Kling hits on something I think a lot about which is how common and repetitive the "best practices" of business are. It's hard to find original insights, even if the insights come after years of research. Perhaps it's because people focus on too much on success cases instead of failures:

Articulating what works, even for someone as successful as Charles Koch, can have surprisingly little value. Taken out of context, what works will seem obvious. What readers need to know is the larger context, especially what ought to work, but doesn't.

(hat tip: Jeff Nolan)