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...
What SME’s can learn from Apples trillion dollar milestone
On Thursday last week, Apple became the first trillion dollar company in market capitalisation. I was not even sure what a trillion is. A 'Trillion' is different in the US count to the British system which we in Australia follow. In the US system a...
Culture: ‘People like us do things like this’
So said Seth Godin in a segment of a Q&A session. Articulating culture is really hard, my go-to definition to date has always been 'The way we do it around here' from Michael Porter. This articulation 'People like us do things like this' adds to...
What is the number 1 job of the CEO?
Most would answer 'Financial outcomes' , Share price' or perhaps 'Customer satisfaction' to that question. However, when you think about it, they would all be wrong. Each of the three is an outcome, a result of other things happening, so the right...
The ‘Change Quadrant’
'Death and taxes are the only certainties in life'. Perhaps this used to be true, but no longer, there is now a third certainty: Change. Like it or not, it is happening around you right now. Those charged with the responsibility of running enterprises,...
9 ways to ‘stack the deck’ to win that vital tender
The better prepared the tender, the better the chance of winning. Hard to disagree with that statement, but then what makes for a better prepared tender? While price has a role to play, it is only the deciding factor when all else is equal. Your task as a...