Would you trust a surgeon who did no x-rays, MRI’s, other scans or tests before operating on you?

Would you trust a surgeon who did not understand the nature of the illness the surgery was to address?

Would you trust a surgeon who was inconsistent in applying the techniques learned in medical school for the specific body part and illness you have?

You wouldn’t. But we do this in business all the time. and this book makes it abundantly clear that we do so at the peril of revenue, profits and market share.

Three Wise Monkeys asserts that understanding your customers and competition are essential to being able to connect with, and communicate to, your market effectively. On the surface, this seems obvious, but as one looks at this more closely it becomes apparent that we often replace real and honest clarity with vague understanding, outdated assumptions, working theories, and strategies which are disconnected from the honest truth about the way things really are.

The Greek aphorism says “first, know thyself”. Misters Devlin and Jones make the case that in business it is equally important to know your customers and competition, and then speak with a voice consistent with that understanding. The parable of The Three Wise Monkeys is the perfect framework for laying this out in a simple and actionable plan. They walk you through the barriers you will encounter, the consequences for inaction and the real-world results that come from an investment in getting clear before saying a word.

This book is a clarion call for investing in clarity and the business insights it will bring. The world is moving fast these days, with customer attitudes and market realities changing more rapidly than ever. The winners will heed this book and implement a Culture of Clarity that is continually monitoring those changes and reacting more quickly and more honestly than the competition.