Re-inventing management
This video of Gary Hamel discussing the evolution of management is seriously worth watching.
Blind-flying.
I have been surprised a couple of times recently when I realised that two B2B businesses I was working with really had no idea how their ultimate customers used the products they bought from us. In both cases the products were sold through distributors, whose ...
Budget blathering whilst manufacturing dies. June 13 update!
Amidst all the blathering following the federal budget Tuesday night I have not seen one comment, political or otherwise that points out the crisis in manufacturing, particularly food industry related manufacturing. Sure, lots of puff about how hard it is for...
How to “outcompete” Apple and Google.
Pretty big aspiration, to outcompete the two businesses that have consistently demonstrated the power of innovation as the core competitive tool over the past 10 years, and have reaped the rewards by creating and redefining markets and then taking all the gravy. The...
Marketing transparency
Branding and brand marketing has always been about finding customers for a product, a "build it and they will come" approach. But life, and the world has changed from just 20 years ago. I remember the day I saw my first fax, an astonishing tool, but I have not used...
Which is the chicken, and which is the egg?
Does the technology that enables stuff to be done come before the creativity to figure out what to do with it, or does the creativity drive the innovation in technology. Who really knows, and it probably does not really matter, fact is that they feed off each other....
“Wartime/peacetime” leadership skills
Most of us tacitly understand that winning leadership styles differ depending on circumstances, that the bloke who was great at starting a business, and getting it running is not necessarily the one to lead it into maturity. Most commentators on leadership have...
Technology driven or customer driven
The technical solutions emerging are fantastic, but how often do you see the technology get in the way of genuine interaction with a customer?. Like any tool, the tech-tools of the 21st century are only as good as their users, and if their users are technology...
Relationships are the objective.
A friend works for the local council who have banned the use of social media, "Just a time-waster" is the view. Here's the thing, I thought local councils were there to serve the community, to reflect the way they think, work, bring up their families and play in the...
Social media is not free, so chase a return!
There may be no charge to post stuff onto social media platforms, but if you are running a business, and people are using the time and resources you have paid for, by definition, there is a cost, even if it is an opportunity cost. Many businesses I have seen just...