(A brief tangent from the three part series on Real Differentiation at Oscar Mayer…) It’s only whispered about in the hallways or talked about behind closed doors. It keeps strategies from being executed, major initiatives from succeeding, and leaders from reaching their goals. It’s devious and touts its success. It subdivides and infiltrates all parts […]
(This is Part 2 of a 3 part series about how companies gain competitive advantage by creating real differentiation in the marketplace, how advantage is lost, and what must be done to get it back.) I have a Macbook Pro, an iPad, an iPhone, and an iPod (which I don’t even use anymore). A little […]
It appears newly elected Governor Scott Walker has a sound recipe for securing a healthier economic future for Wisconsin: growth and productivity. And to make it happen, he is quickly focusing on changing the design of the business environment. Hmmm… where have we heard that before? Growth and productivity through better design… Wisconsin Bankers Association […]
This will be good for Bryan and for Mattel. Besides the fact Bryan is a terrific leader and strategist, it also sets the stage for a truly integrated global business model; a competitive necessity these days. Changes should be accretive to shareholder value in time. Mattel Announces Appointment of Bryan Stockton as Chief Operating Officer […]
Strategic Plan For A Better Christmas Situation: Stress at this time of year skyrockets, both personally and professionally Recession and unemployment woes significantly lower anticipated Christmas spending (source: Gallup). The meaning of Christmas can become obscured Objective: A Better, More Meaningful Christmas Strategy 1: Find The Deeper Meaning(s) of Christmas Tactic: Decide what Christmas is […]
(Companies can come up with novel ways to differentiate themselves from the competition: product features, packaging, service, marketing approaches. But when the difference is shallow, that is, when it isn’t hardwired into an advantaged business design, it is easily replicated and the difference disappears. This three part series of short blog posts on my old […]
Killing bad ideas is really easy. In fact, it’s so easy to kill any idea that common “ground rules” are used during brainstorming sessions to keep ideas alive long enough to see if they have any merit. Actually, there are a lot of stupid ideas that come out of brainstorming sessions and most should be […]
Well, I’m not really big enough to “poke the bear”. I’m more like a flea. If you haven’t ever heard the phrase, it refers to “going up against a competitive giant knowing the potential response will be massive”. At least that’s what one of my favorite cartoonists, Tom Fishburne, says. And how might I be […]
No, not that kind of hog. I grew up on a farm and I’ve never seen a pig bounce. A bear, yes. I’m talking about Harley Davidson who trades under the symbol HOG. I had lunch with a leader and friend there and they’re working hard to put bounce into their company. Can they do […]
The current trajectory for the cost of health care is unsustainable. The average annual premium for family health care coverage is already $13,375 and at the present rate of growth will be over $31,000 ten years from now. It’s not only busting family budgets, it’s causing serious disruption to the cost structures of American business. […]
