Green business initiatives of 2010.
The "green revolution" may be denied by many, failing in the Parliament, and not engaging consumers as their utilities bills increase, but it is happening around us anyway. The world is greening, despite the best efforts of many to avoid the issues. Because there is a...
What goes ’round comes ’round
Australian manufacturing has been decimated over the last few decades, and whilst there is no single reason for this impact, the determination of the major retailers to use the opening of global sourcing options to reduce their costs and compete on price has been a...
Intellectual Capital and the crowd.
The Microsoft business model has resisted all efforts to introduce open innovation practices into its markets, and many would argue, has stunted its growth and innovative potential as a result. How rapidly things can change, even when you resist from a position of...
Performance appraisal time…. Already?.
New year usually signals it is time for one of the most misused management tools to be pulled out of the box again, the dreaded performance appraisal. Done well, a system to manage the performance of employees, and their managers is one of the most powerful tools to...
More than, rather than more of.
20th century marketing tools have their place, in the 20th century; they will be progressively less effective as we progress through the 21st. Mass media, mass distribution, superficial differentiation, and all the rest are failing to excite in the 21st. You need to...
A thought for 2011.
On the eve of a new decade, it is perhaps useful to consider the changes that have occurred, recognise that the pace of change is still accelerating. For myself, and I suspect most of my readers, to even try and anticipate the changes to come in the next decade, on...
Data, information and spin doctors.
Around a BBQ over the Christmas break, a bunch of us were chatting about what we would ban as a New Years resolution, as you do. Some innovative solutions to intractable problems emerged, peace in the middle east, an end to nuclear Iran/Korea/Pakistan, a clean coal...
New year Planning
As we approach Jan 1, the time many of us make promises to ourselves for the coming year, most of which don't last much past Jan 3, consider making a couple of real commitments: I will cease the busywork that achieves nothing, checking emails every 10 minutes, moving...
2010 in review, 10 trends to consider in 2011.
It is that time of year, when we look back and try and understand the forces that have driven our decisions and behavior in the past year, and that will continue to have a potentially disruptive influence in the coming year. In the spirit of the time, following is my...
Commercial sustainability needs people.
The next time you hear an argument that justifies moving Australian manufacturing to a low cost country in order to compete, refer to this post on the Evolving Excellence blog describing the work practices in a Toyota's Kyushu plant. Labor is much more than a pair...