I have always found unsolicited feedback infuriating. It rarely has much to do with improving your situation, but more to do with the provider’s benefit. However, in business we are led to believe that we should listen to the customer and that complaints are to be welcomed as a means of us improving ourselves. This [...]
Archive for April, 2009
Who to Listen To
Posted in Strategy, tagged customer feedback, feedback, Leadership, seth godin, Strategy, Success Factors on April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Strategy Vs Planning: Why Planning is Killing Strategy
Posted in Strategy, Uncategorized, tagged gary hamel, Leadership, Strategy, strategy convergence on April 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There is a significant difference between strategy and planning, and it is important to understand what it is. Planning leads to industry convergence, while strategy can lead to its divergence. Planning is about what is done and when it is done, whereas strategy is about what we would like the result to be. Strategy involves [...]
Don’t Knee-Jerk: Think it Through
Posted in Decision Making, tagged Decision Making, Leadership, Personal Development, thinking on April 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
In these difficult times businesses are reducing new hiring and instead squeezing every ounce of productivity out of their existing employees. On top of that managers and executives are fearful of the future, and as a result are heading for melt-down. Slowing Down Sometimes the best way to work most effectively and efficiently is to [...]
Industry Convergence: Avoid Copy-Cat Strategy by Innovating
Posted in Innovation, tagged commodity, Innovation, Marketing, strategic planning, Strategy, strategy convergence on April 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Convergence in industry has led to many false dawns, but has also offered benefits such as convenience, innovation and increased choice. Which applies to you will be determined by how innovative you can be. Take these examples of convergence which display the positive and negative results that can result: the latter first. The Australian Wine [...]
Every Strategy Needs A Good Crisis
Posted in Strategy, tagged bill gates, microsoft, steve jobs, strategic planning, Strategy, warren buffett on April 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
During good times is when it is harder then ever to make game changing decisions. To look seriously at your cash cow and saying now is the time to re-think how you do things. When numbers and charts are looking good, incremental change is what most (average) businesses hope for. The great businesses don’t accept [...]
Moving from Gut Feeling to GutFact: Evidence that it is essential to innovate during a recession
Posted in Innovation, tagged crisis, gut fact, gut feeling, gutfact, Innovation, recession, warren buffett on April 14, 2009 | 1 Comment »
“I think it’s more essential to innovate through a recession, and certainly what we’re trying to do at P&G is to continue to bring sustaining and even disruptive new brands and products for our consumers, to make their lives better, to offer them a little more value.” A.G. Lafley, Chairman and CEO of Procter & [...]