Klarhet Channel

Last week, we talked about how to design a pilot for alignment, learning, and action. This week, we’re taking that mindset further—because not every experiment needs a budget or a formal plan.

In this Compass Check, we’ll explore how experimentation becomes a leadership habit: creating space for curiosity, reframing failure as learning, and helping your team move faster without fear.

Learn what “intelligent fast failure” really means, why it’s not about recklessness, and how small, safe, and purposeful experiments can unlock big progress.

Experiment boldly. Fail smart. Learn fast.

We sat down with Matt Barnes and James Stovall to talk about why AI adoption often fails—and what leaders can do differently. From messy data to pilot purgatory, they share practical ways to build trust, unlock innovation, and rethink work. Don’t miss this Klarhet Shift episode!

workfastconsulting.com to reach Matt and James - or find them on LinkedIn

In this Compass Check, we flip the script on pilot design. Instead of chasing ideas, we anchor experiments in strategic goals and real friction. Using AI as a case study, we explore how to frame the fit, involve your team, structure small and measurable pilots, and make a clear business case to leadership.

🎯 One Thing: What’s one stuck area you could explore through a smart, small pilot?

Every team has someone who knows it all—or thinks they do. But great leaders know that wisdom isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about asking better questions. In this Compass Check, we explore how curiosity, challenge, and humility help teams move from “my way” to “our way”—and become smarter together.

Every leader faces moments where the easy move is to patch a problem and move on. But real speed and trust come from eliminating the issue entirely. This episode explores how clarity, timing, and accountability — not fear — create the conditions for lasting solutions.

This episode uses the phrase from the founder of Skunk works telling his protege to "k-11 the problem" in the context of eliminating development issues in the process. That is why it carries an explicit content warning.

Founders and leaders in growth-stage companies will find this conversation especially useful. Kristin Toth shares how to scale fast and smart—balancing urgency with intention, and making the hard tradeoffs that keep teams focused on outcomes, not activity.

We take a look at the duality of decisions made with speed AND deliberation. A powerful combination for moving forward.

A lot of rebrands stop at the surface — new logos, fresh colors, maybe a tagline. But true transformation starts inside the company. Culture, operations, and how people work every day are what really drive lasting change. And when there’s also a market pivot or strategic shift in play, that disconnect between image and reality can create real friction. Employees can feel lost, customers can feel confused, and the repositioning risks falling flat.

That’s exactly why I invited Mike Stolz onto the Klarhet Shift. Mike has lived this challenge: keeping revenue flowing from a legacy business while moving into a more lucrative market. His secret? Using core values as the anchor for alignment.

In this conversation, Mike and I cover:

• Why employee-driven values matter more than top-down mandates
• How core values became a filter for hiring, customer selection, and even performance reviews
• What it looks like to balance day-to-day operational reality with aspirational values like innovation
• How to pace change without losing people — and why transparency around mistakes builds trust
• The leadership lesson Mike wishes every CEO would take to heart

If you’ve ever wondered how to ground a pivot in something deeper than branding, this episode will resonate.

Connect with Mike Stolz on LinkedIn
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Learn more about Klarhet Compass and our services at k-compass.com/shift

In our first Compass Check episode we talk about Alignment to Values - a key success driver for high performing teams.

Meet The Klarhet Channel—two shows, one feed. Compass Check gives you a compact mentor moment with practical advice. Klarhet Shift shares real stories and lessons from meaningful business change—pivots, scaling/exits, and transformations. Send questions or guest pitches at k-compass.com/shift.