I suppose my biggest takeaway, is that all I know right now, is every time I was given a dysfunctional department to look after it got better very quickly, both according to staff, colleagues and my seniors. I don't know exactly why, and would love an outside observer, but I have my theories. I'm loath to put bits of it out there because you get a couple of categories of negative response.

1) 'That is just obvious'. All of my best work ever was obvious to everyone afterwards!

2) You are naive. It would never work in x company. You give people too much credit etc.

Yet here I am, unexpectedly at home feeling ill, with 100% confidence that everyone in my extended team is coping just fine, doing as much work as if I was there, and getting along with each other. The only message I got today was one asking how I am. Meanwhile my colleague mangers will be answering emails while on holiday, because their world would fall apart without them.

Again, this is why an outside observer would be so useful, they could testify to the results as well as the methodology.