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Decreased uncertainty, improved decisions
Global Advisors is a leader in defining quantified strategies, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions and achieving measureable results.
We specialise in providing highly-analytical data-driven recommendations in the face of significant uncertainty.
We utilise advanced predictive analytics to build robust strategies and enable our clients to make calculated decisions.
We support implementation of adaptive capability and capacity.
Our latest
Thoughts
Global Advisors’ Thoughts: Is insecurity behind that dysfunction?
By Marc Wilson
Marc is a partner at Global Advisors and based in Johannesburg, South Africa
Download this article at http://www.globaladvisors.biz/inc-feed/20170907/thoughts-is-insecurity-behind-that-dysfunction
We tend to characterise insecurity as what we see in overtly fragile, shy and awkward people. We think that their insecurity presents as lack of confidence. And often we associate it with under-achievement.
Sometimes we might be aware that insecurities can lie behind the -ias, -isms and the phobias. Body dysmorphia? Insecurity about attractiveness. Racism? Often the need to find security by claiming superiority, belonging to group with power, a group you understand and whose acceptance you want. Homophobia? Often insecurity about one’s own sexuality or masculinity / feminity.
So it is often counter-intuitive when we discover that often behind incredible success lies – insecurity! In fact, an article I once read described the successful elite of strategy consulting firms as typically “insecure over-achievers.”
Insecurity must be one of the most misunderstood drivers of dysfunction. Instead we see its related symptoms and react to those. “That woman is so overbearing. That guy is so aggressive! That girl is so self-absorbed. That guy is so competitive.” Even, “That guy is so arrogant.”
How is it that someone we might perceive as competitive, arrogant or overconfident might be insecure? Sometimes people overcompensate to hide a weakness or insecurity. Sometimes in an effort to avoid feeling defensive of a perceived shortcoming, they might go on the offensive – telling people they are the opposite or even faking security.
Do we even know what insecurity is? The very need to…
Read the rest of “Power, Control and Space” at http://www.globaladvisors.biz/inc-feed/20170907/thoughts-is-insecurity-behind-that-dysfunction
Strategy Tools
Strategy tools: Effective transfer pricing
So much has been written about transfer pricing. Yet it remains a bone of contention in almost every organisation. Transfer pricing is not merely a rational challenge – it often raises the emotions of internal service users and providers who argue regarding scope, quality, price and value.
We have found that effective transfer pricing relies on some fairly simple best practices and critical success factors.
Many organisations recover costs as a regular ‘below-the-line’ deduction from operating division income statements. In our experience, charge out is almost always preferable. This results in internal value judgements and negotiation regarding delivery happening closer to time of use.
We have typically seen that the realisation that internal pricing plays this role and the consequences of poor implementation are not well understood.
Results of poor transfer pricing implementation
Sub-optimal economic use decisions
Where costs / prices are higher than they should be, buyers pass this on as an inflated cost to their customers, experience margin squeeze, or utilise less of the service than they might have.
Strategically this can lead to incorrect decisions regarding the provision of services to the market and loss of market share.
Where costs / prices are lower than they should be, this can lead to overuse of a product or service and poor cost recovery from external customers.
Strategically this can result in the over promotion and sales of products and services that are achieving lower margins than thought, or that might even be making losses.
Sub-optimal investment and resourcing decisions
Incorrect pricing can lead to over- or under-investment in capacity and product or service quality. Further, the resourcing decisions will be incorrect should the price signal to the supplier be incorrect.
Political and emotional argument
Where buyers are unable to obtain assurance that an internal price is correct, there is typically resentment regarding the cost of the internal product and service and the sheltered position employees of the internal service provider occupy – in the buyer’s eyes free from commercial pressures.
Buyers and suppliers typically also argue regarding the quality of the service or product relative to the price paid.
Suppliers may react to criticism claiming their product or service is strategic in nature and refute its availability in the external markets.
Poor product / service quality
Poor price signals will result in lack of comparable product and service quality benchmarks. This can result in ‘gold-plating’ or poor-quality product and service provision.
Read more at https://globaladvisors.biz/2021/01/06/strategy-tools-effective-transfer-pricing/
Fast Facts
Fast Fact: The rate of technology adoption exploded in the 1990s
The 1990s were an inflection point in the adoption of new technologies. While radio showed fast adoption in the 1920s, new technologies introduced post 2010 had reached penetrations of more than 30% of the United States population within 3 years from launch. PCs...
Selected News
Quote: Dr Eric Schmidt – Ex-Google CEO
“The win will be teaming between a human and their judgment and a supercomputer and what it can think.” – Dr Eric Schmidt – Former Google CEO
Dr Eric Schmidt is recognised globally as a principal architect of the modern digital era. He served as CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011, guiding its evolution from a fast-growing startup into a cornerstone of the tech industry. His leadership was instrumental in scaling Google’s infrastructure, accelerating product innovation, and instilling a model of data-driven culture that underpins contemporary algorithms and search technologies. After stepping down as CEO, Schmidt remained pivotal as Executive Chairman and later as Technical Advisor, shepherding Google’s transition to Alphabet and advocating for long-term strategic initiatives in AI and global connectivity.
Schmidt’s influence extends well beyond corporate leadership. He has played policy-shaping roles at the highest levels, including chairing the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and advising multiple governments on technology strategy. His career is marked by a commitment to both technical progress and the responsible governance of innovation, positioning him at the centre of debates on AI’s promises, perils, and the necessity of human agency in the face of accelerating machine intelligence.
Context of the Quotation: Human–AI Teaming
Schmidt’s statement emerged during high-level discussions about the trajectory of AI, particularly in the context of autonomous systems, advanced agents, and the potential arrival of superintelligent machines. Rather than portraying AI as a force destined to replace humans, Schmidt advocates a model wherein the greatest advantage arises from joint endeavour: humans bring creativity, ethical discernment, and contextual understanding, while supercomputers offer vast capacity for analysis, pattern recognition, and iterative reasoning.
This principle is visible in contemporary AI deployments. For example:
- In drug discovery, AI systems can screen millions of molecular variants in a day, but strategic insights and hypothesis generation depend on human researchers.
- In clinical decision-making, AI augments the observational scope of physicians—offering rapid, precise diagnoses—but human judgement is essential for nuanced cases and values-driven choices.
- Schmidt points to future scenarios where “AI agents” conduct scientific research, write code by natural-language command, and collaborate across domains, yet require human partnership to set objectives, interpret outcomes, and provide oversight.
- He underscores that autonomous AI agents, while powerful, must remain under human supervision, especially as they begin to develop their own procedures and potentially opaque modes of communication.
Underlying this vision is a recognition: AI is a multiplier, not a replacement, and the best outcomes will couple human judgement with machine cognition.
Relevant Leading Theorists and Critical Backstory
This philosophy of human–AI teaming aligns with and is actively debated by several leading theorists:
- Stuart Russell
Professor at UC Berkeley, Russell is renowned for his work on human-compatible AI. He contends that the long-term viability of artificial intelligence requires that systems are designed to understand and comply with human preferences and values. Russell has championed the view that human oversight and interpretability are non-negotiable as intelligence systems become more capable and autonomous. - Fei-Fei Li
Stanford Professor and co-founder of AI4ALL, Fei-Fei Li is a major advocate for “human-centred AI.” Her research highlights that AI should augment human potential, not supplant it, and she stresses the critical importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. She is a proponent of AI systems that foster creativity, support decision-making, and preserve agency and dignity. - Demis Hassabis
Founder and CEO of DeepMind, Hassabis’s group famously developed AlphaGo and AlphaFold. DeepMind’s work demonstrates the principle of human–machine teaming: AI systems solve previously intractable problems, such as protein folding, that can only be understood and validated with strong human scientific context. - Gary Marcus
A prominent AI critic and academic, Marcus warns against overestimating current AI’s capacity for judgment and abstraction. He pursues hybrid models where symbolic reasoning and statistical learning are paired with human input to overcome the limitations of “black-box” models. - Eric Schmidt’s own contributions reflect active engagement with these paradigms, from his advocacy for AI regulatory frameworks to public warnings about the risks of unsupervised AI, including “unplugging” AI systems that operate beyond human understanding or control.
Structural Forces and Implications
Schmidt’s perspective is informed by several notable trends:
- Expansion of infinite context windows: Models can now process millions of words and reason through intricate problems with humans guiding multi-step solutions, a paradigm shift for fields like climate research, pharmaceuticals, and engineering.
- Proliferation of autonomous agents: AI agents capable of learning, experimenting, and collaborating independently across complex domains are rapidly becoming central; their effectiveness maximised when humans set goals and interpret results.
- Democratisation paired with concentration of power: As AI accelerates innovation, the risk of centralised control emerges; Schmidt calls for international cooperation and proactive governance to keep objectives aligned with human interests.
- Chain-of-thought reasoning and explainability: Advanced models can simulate extended problem-solving, but meaningful solutions depend on human guidance, interpretation, and critical thinking.
Summary
Eric Schmidt’s quote sits at the intersection of optimistic technological vision and pragmatic governance. It reflects decades of strategic engagement with digital transformation, and echoes leading theorists’ consensus: the future of AI is collaborative, and its greatest promise lies in amplifying human judgment with unprecedented computational support. Realising this future will depend on clear policies, interdisciplinary partnership, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring technology remains a tool for human advancement—and not an unfettered automaton beyond our reach.
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