When frameworks fail: what to do when your model doesn't match the moment

Consultants love a good framework. We use them to map problems, guide strategy, and bring structure to chaos. But sometimes, the problem doesn’t fit the model. The situation is too fluid, too emotional, too layered. I’ve been in rooms where a textbook approach fell flat - not because it was wrong, but because it wasn’t enough. In this article, I share how I’ve learned to work when the model doesn’t match the moment - and what to reach for instead.