Don’t just sit there: Go and see the problem!
Have you ever noticed that problems are rarely solved by those who have not seen them first hand? Core to 'Lean' philosophy is the Japanese term ‘Genchi Genbutsu' which carries the meaning ‘go and see'. In other words, when you have a problem, do not pore over...
Why does most digital advertising suck?
The fundamental problem with 'digital advertising' is that there is little competition for ideas. In the past, with limited availability of media, the competition happened before the public got to see anything, as those that controlled access to peoples eyeballs did...
The essential lesson for leaders in fiction.
There is rich wisdom to be found in fiction, although you might have to look hard to find it. There are some writers who have used fiction to deliver timeless messages. For example, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had his protagonist Sherlock Holmes utter some really...
The five simple questions for an effective After Action Review
The term 'After Action Review' emerged from the US military, which formalised it after facing a range of disasters in the field, from Vietnam to the Middle East. Finally, it became obvious they were repeating the same mistakes, consistently. They should have asked an...
11 research traps novice marketers stumble into, regularly.
The implication of the word 'research,' is that you are setting out to understand something. All too often over the years, I have observed situations where that is not the case. Market research can be a money trap, consuming resources with little or no payback. It can...
A marketers explanation of ‘normalising’ your P&L.
You will not hear the term 'normalising' the P&L very often. When you do, it is often an indication that the business is in a frame of mind open to change. It is a common starting point of valuing a business, a process that has two basic buckets: Financial...
6 questions to assess: ‘How strategic is your data’?
Data is inherently tactical, just numbers without intelligence. It takes structure, capability development, and governance to turn it into a useable asset that adds value. In the absence of a structure that is designed to enable the identification, analysis,...
9 trends to consider to profit in the Post-Corona economy.
Everyone and his dog is making predictions about the shape of the economy, post corona, a state that is seemingly moving out of our grasp currently with the resurgence of the bug. The reality is that the cards have all been thrown in the air, never has the...
The trouble with SMART goals
I love smart goals, they provide a road map, discipline, and a definition of what success looks like. Over the years they have proved to be very useful. However, as I get wiser, I realise there is one vital element missing from Smart goals: Compounding. Compounding...
9 questions to determine customer centricity.
It seems almost every business owner I meet claims to be customer centric, yet, ask their customers, and you get a different response. Human nature is that we put priority on what is important to us, rather than looking at something from the other side...