I’ve seen or heard it referred to dozens of times and even succumbed to the false notion myself. It’s known as WIIFM or “What’s in it for Me”. It may have rightly applied in sales and marketing to encourage thinking from the customer’s perspective but in business transformation and change management, it may be one […]
I remember a heated discussion at Kraft among some EVPs and their staff on the subject of “meetings” (actually there were several heated discussions on this subject but one in particular stands out). Everyone’s schedule was plugged, often full for the next 4-6 weeks, and the argument was about whether or not they were spending […]
In August of 2005, a large, violent tornado swept through our neighborhood indiscriminately uprooting trees, scattering personal possessions, and leveling homes. It’s something I’ll likely never forget. Our home was one of them. Although only a couple people were hurt physically, hundreds of lives in our community were suddenly and literally turned upside down. Tornadoes […]
Innovation is the lifeblood of every business. Yet, one of the most common laments when people try to explain why the company isn’t coming up with any significant innovations is, “We’re just too risk-averse.” To which a common response from leaders is defensiveness. I’ve even heard CEOs say, “Tell me which big idea I didn’t […]
How do workers respond when they hear the announcement of a restructuring initiative (or any other major transformational effort for that matter) designed to “grow revenues through better innovation” or “cut costs by trimming the workforce” or “shuttering manufacturing plants to generate cash for reinvestment” or refocus on “creating value” by outsourcing “non-core” parts of […]
Mature businesses tend to suffer from the same issue when it comes to innovation: inertia. Said another way, they have a hard time breaking away from the status quo. Consequently they continue to orbit around their core product portfolio developing little more than the equivalent of the next flavor of Jell-O. Which means results continue […]
The story is told1 that in 1944 Allied forces bombed and destroyed a prison camp factory in Hungary that was distilling human waste into alcohol to help fuel Hitler’s war effort. For the prisoners, mild relief turned to disgust at the thought of rebuilding the camp when the guards forced them to carry the rubble to […]
Restructuring has become a common practice in business across the globe. In 2014 alone, dozens and dozens of companies in the Fortune 500 announced restructurings and major layoffs. Most will fall victim to hidden flawed restructuring assumptions that will cost them the very things they need to stimulate growth and get back on track. But […]
It plays out in companies across the globe. Once successful brands and products are no longer as competitive or relevant and it’s become a struggle to maintain the business. Try as they might, they haven’t been able to introduce new products that will get the company growing and satisfy investors again. So, CEOs turn to […]
Where does real change leadership most likely come from in an organization? Is it the top of the organization? Maybe. Senior leaders certainly have an important role but their impact is often overestimated. Consider these points. Change experts almost always complain of lack of senior leader alignment to the change initiative. Are they really leading […]
