The 7 foundations of a successful enterprise
I was asked the question 'what makes a truly successful enterprise' at a workshop that had strategy development as its purpose. It is a regular question that I get in various forms, and a question that I ask myself from time to time. The easy answer...
Have the Liberals crossed their Rubicon?
In 49 BC Julius Caesar led his legions across the Rubicon river, the line that separated ancient Gaul from Roman controlled Italy. Ever since, the term 'Crossing the Rubicon' has entered the lexicon as describing passing the point of no return. Last week...
21 Lessons from a manufacturing turnaround
I was asked the question 'what did you learn from the turnaround of the GPD' a while ago, and was persuaded to present on it. The GPD was the 'General Products Division' of the Dairy Farmers Co-Operative Ltd. It produced all the dairy products you...
What can our political clowns learn from Jeff Bezos
The current clown-party in Canberra brings tears of frustration one moment, scorn and anger the next, followed by an overwhelming sense of incredulity. This was posted early Friday morning August 24th, and by the time you read it, well, anything could...
Convergence of Governance and Marketing in Financial Services
The shocking revelations from the Royal Commission continue to flow. Last week it was NAB's turn in the hot seat, and they did not fail to add to the building dismay and absolute disgust being felt. The Governance Institute defines governance as:...
How to develop some of that vital ‘fingerspitzengefuhl’
Fingerspitzengefuhl is a German word that translates poorly (I am told, my German is marginal at best) meaning literally 'finger tip feel'. The real meaning is the intuitive sense that develops in some people with deep domain knowledge, experience...
11 parameters to choose those who will be tomorrows leaders
The rate of change is accelerating at a massive rate. A common challenge for all enterprises irrespective of size that have professional management, is how to pick those who will be able to deliver commercial longevity to the shareholders, whether...
Unpacking the characteristics of a demand chain
Recently I found myself in a group conversation about marketing 'channels', and almost had to scream. Like most conversations of this nature, they were just about logistics. Pity the poor old customer, barely got a mention apart from being noted as being...
That essential second value proposition
At the heart of every successful business is a promise made by a business to its customers and potential customers: Value can be created for them by commercial engagement. I have never done any sort of strategic or marketing program where the definition...
The substantial value of ignorance
Being seen as an expert is sometimes a problem, as everyone expects you to have all the answers. Nobody has all the answers, and they are usually uncovered only by the judicious use of questions. As an outsider to businesses I work with, I come in with...