Everyone encounters the need to break inertia When organizations “stand still” for very long, they become stuck. This isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, the execution of strategy is really about building structure (for example, systems, rewards and organizational design) to make sure the organization is aligned and focused. When change is required, however, […]
Position your business for success As I write this, it’s finally warm out and the lemonade stands — staffed by budding young entrepreneurs — are starting to pop up. This is a great learning experience for a young lass or lad, but might it also teach us something? On the way home from a recent […]
Years ago, I was part of a team that sequestered itself — at the request of our CEO — to come up with our “vision and strategy” for the company. This was a smart group of executives with good backgrounds and many opinions, all with healthy enough egos. We holed up for two days in […]
At the end of the day, there are really only two ways to win in business, assuming you have a viable market: (1) be like others and execute better or (2) be different. I’ve had clients who’ve succeeded in both camps, but those who took a different approach were more successful — both in top-line […]
A Wall Street Journal article on September 20, 2010, stated that Hyundai is coming out with a new luxury car. A Hyundai luxury car? Isn’t that a bit like gourmet Velveeta? It begs the question, “How far can you stretch a brand?” A typical strategic position would be to own a spot on the map, […]
Years ago when my four children were small, my wife and I took them on a road trip to see their grandparents. I had told the three oldest kids that we were getting up in the morning to drive to the Midwest. Our youngest son Danny, who was 3 at the time, was already in […]
My brother is in management at a large financial firm but is as good at construction as any contractor. Whether it’s a deck, a finished basement or a sauna, he builds it perfectly. Likewise, my friend, John — an engineer — is a great woodworker. He builds grandfather clocks that Angela Merkel would be pleased […]
If you take long enough bike rides, you’ll encounter multiple flat tires on a single ride. It’s happened to me several times. Flat tires aren’t hard to fix, but you need to be prepared. The benefits of carrying a spare tube, a couple of patches and a pump far outweigh the consequences of being stranded […]
Where do you look for new ideas? Sometimes the misty edge of your industry is a good place to start. Some of the most successful companies that I have worked with have intentionally blurred the lines between work and personal life. Several clients have created a work environment that views people as “people” rather than […]
Through years of observation, I’ve concluded that most successful companies have these 6 components nailed down and those who are successful but don’t understand these components are just temporarily lucky! 1 Values Why and how do you do business? Not just you as CEO but your co-workers as well. If someone violates those values, do […]