MBA in the USA – Cultural consulting by Grayson Leverenz

image: frabattista

Throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks is a very popular saying in the MBA world at the moment; I’ve heard it at least three times in the past week. It means to approach a task using the trial and error method.

I love the imagery of this one. It comes from the idea that a cook can tell if pasta is done by throwing it against a wall. If it sticks, it’s ready to serve. If not, it needs more time on the stove.

A manager might say, “I want to do extensive research on this before we move forward. There’s too much at stake to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.”