Trust: A rare priviledge that is hard to earn, never just given.
Trust is a word bandied around liberally, like a ticket to be attached to a piece of luggage. A label, adornment, meaning little. In a world where the bonds of community have been broken down by the pressures of the 21st century, real trust is a rare and...
How your brain collaborates with itself
Your left brain manages the quantitative, anything that can be reduced to a spreadsheet will be a left brain activity. It can be quantified, optimised, but always lacks the spark of originality, and creativity. Creativity, instinct, understanding, are...
How do you crete a documented ‘Flow’ in your processes?
‘Flow’ evolves as a completed task is handed over to the next stage, or person, automatically, with no error, in an entirely predictable manner. When seeking to build flow into a system, there needs to be a lot of detailed and logical thought put into...
Processes are not goals, but goals are daydreams without processes.
Life is so very complicated. We are always being told that to be successful requires that we set goals, and stick to them, work for them, focus, focus. However, in my observation, a goal without a process to achieve that goal is useless, nothing more...
6 characteristics to look for when assembling an advisory board
Small and medium businesses need outside assistance in order to build the depth of capability that is required to compete effectively on the big stage that we now have. I often advocate they have some sort of 'Advisory board' that delivers the guidance and...
The ‘Marketing Alchemy’ that reversed the value of gold and iron.
1813, in Prussia, princess Marianne convinced people to turn in their gold jewelry to fund the war against France, and be given an iron replica in return. The replica jewelry was stamped with the words 'Gold gab ich fur Eisen' which means 'I gave gold for...
The challenges of tension in the evolution of business Strategy
I want to talk about tension. The tension present in every commercial and private decision we make, and action we take. If you focus exclusively on the short term, you will make mistakes, go out of business. If you focus exclusively on the long term, you...
Solving the paradox of marketing measurement.
A bigger brain than mine observed that ‘You get what you measure’. This has been proven to be true time after time. Our lives are run by those who make the rules based on what has been, simply because it is easy to quantify. However, what do you do when...
Marketing is dead; Long live marketing
In 1973 I graduated with a marketing degree, something few had heard of. My father was appalled, as I had set out to get an accounting degree, but had been waylaid by some new age nonsense that would not get me a job. Several years later, after...
Genuflecting at the tomb of the unknown customer
More money is thrown at the tomb of the unknown customer than any other source of marketing waste. Unless you can define very well indeed who your customer is, you will be wasting most of any time, effort, and money you spend. Defining who your ideal...