Hi 

 

 

 

 

 

Colombo was one of our most popular homicide detectives of all time in the TV series by the same name. It ran from 1971 until 2003 and the lead role was played by Peter Falk, who won four Emmys for his efforts. 

 

With his well worn raincoat, cigar and sometimes clueless looks, he would often return to a conversation (in his curious, sometimes casual trademark style) to probe with a critical question "Just one more thing?". This catchphrase became known by millions of watchers around the world as the moment they knew he had the murderer trapped. 

 

 

 

Good news. We aren't talking about homicides here!

 

BUT, we are wanting to explore and drill in on some of the more debatable aspects of Transition.

 

We are in pursuit of evidence that helps us get on - and stay on - the right line of inquiry and action, for a REAL TRANSITION. 

 

In our way are many false leads, alibis, politics, sometimes ignorant people and those who don't want us to know about the unsustainability of their misdemeanours. And then there are those who blatantly disregard the consequences of their activities or just think they will never be caught up with.

 

The Real Transition is the journey towards the destination of net zero green house gas emissions and general prosperity - taking into account the need to halt all of that which is unsustainable in the long term. This requires us to have a clear head and to follow an iterative process that is evidence based, transparent and fair. Here at THQ we know how to do this now.

 

A point to note is that transition is not necessarily simple. We'd be fools to think we know how a sector, business or individual might plan and execute their own transition. But we can be inquisitive, helpful and supportive - especially when it comes to sharing what we are learning, what is working and what is not!

 

So the mission requires us to:

 

* If Government and big business knew what they were doing then perhaps, Auckland would have had light rail 20 years ago, the electricity sector would still be a centrally managed national system, there wouldn't have been circa 17 reports and still a container port in central Auckland, Fonterra wouldn't be as dependent on coal as it still is, and more recently, we wouldn't have spent nearly $250M (and counting) on the Hydrogen story. As taxpayers facing into a massive transition, mounting inflation and debt, and leadership that behaves like kids in a lolly scramble, we might be wondering, hmmm..."Perhaps us citizens better discover and do what we can at our local level, at the very least?"

 

While we may or may not be interested in being a detective, critical thinking and questioning are crucial skills to acquire for the work of enabling the Real Transition. And as we mentioned here, the "5 whys" and "so what" questions can be incisive when building a picture of the problem or opportunity in front of us.

 

This is a complex and broad case, but one we have to close. It also helps to be part of a community that is doing the detective work of the Real Transition. This is where you learn methods, practices and get up to date insights. Building a diverse picture with other curious and learning people helps us become more effective personally and collectively... one day you might even get to ask... "just one more thing?". 

 

Learn more about the Real Transition Leaders course and community here.