October 18th, 2012
We often work with executives in our Strategic Thinking Program on how to identify and keep your competitive advantage. Brand is one we drive home as a sustainable competitive advantage. However, it is much more than the “brand” itself–it is about LEADERSHIP!
We are seeing the best leaders doing things differently with their organizations. These leaders know how to create brand value by focusing on what is most important, building the right organization and then aligning and engaging employees to do what they do best — day-in and day-out — so that they know what the brand stands for internally and externally.
Compare the top 30 from 2001 to 2012 below:
Click here to view the top 100 Brands
Tags: Brand value, Brands, Competitive advantage, Employee Value Proposition
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September 13th, 2012
Recently we had the opportunity to work with an executive team of a consumer packaged goods company. They were at odds with each other because things were not getting done. The executive team had invested a good deal of energy, and a lot of thought and effort into a new product development launch. They constructed what all felt was a strong plan; it was well laid out, had been communicated to the broader organization with the expectation that they were set to go. They used a RACI chart to identify roles and responsibilities.
If you’re not familiar with RACI charts, here’s how they are intended to work: A RACI chart is a matrix that outlines the roles for each person or group relating to a specific step in a project. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. A RACI chart is often used by Managers to ensure responsibilities are understood across stakeholder groups.
The project leader was dumbfounded; the roles and responsibilities were well laid out; however, he could not understand why they were missing the launch dates. Here was the problem. RACI charts, independent of people establishing and nurturing relationships with their colleagues, just do not work. We’ve seen it time and time again, without strong relationships, RACI charts become more of a hindrance than as a way to share roles and responsibilities and get work accomplished.
The take-home-message: Spending time on relationship building and dialogue is a prerequisite before accountabilities can be developed. By doing this, not only are you able to become clear on what to expect from each other, you also know where to go for support.
When we posed the question to the leaders, “how much time do you spend with each other outside of meetings—getting to know one another on a personal level?” they were silent.
Once the group was able to invest time in their relationship with one another, the RACI charts became more meaningful and useful.
Research shows that one of the most important competencies for leaders to master for career success or two of four career derailments is building strategic working relationships.
Tags: Employee Value Proposition, RACI Charts
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June 11th, 2012
Who wants to sign up for cost cutting? If you are trying to rally an organization around cost saving initiatives, you might be going about it the wrong way. It is not about cost savings or cost cutting … that language is often not helpful or do initiatives that are positioned as cost-cutting always work. According to study by the Conference Board, of the 90% of organizations that are cutting costs this year, only a small fraction will likely retain those savings for three years or longer.
Think Cost Innovation!
What we do know is that people will rally around a cause if they know what they are signing up for and feel that they can contribute to making a difference.
Cost Innovation does just that. Cost innovation is not an initiative – it becomes a way of life for successful organizations. Cost innovation is about making good choices on how an organization uses its resources for growth. Outside of work, people do it all the time. It is part of life. Employees in companies who employ cost innovation techniques understand cost savings funds future growth and if done well allows for sustained success in the marketplace. Consider this:
A successful Consumer goods company’s commercial organization had to reduce 42 million dollars from their operating budget. They rallied the organization by creating cost innovation teams focused on costs and capability building. Teams were successful in identifying ways to reinvest a portion of the savings on capability building. Talk about a win – win!
Here are the steps they followed:
1. Executive team met off-site and created a vision for cost innovation
2. Cost and capability “targets” were identified
3. Change management messaging –organizational readiness was assessed
4. Team were with careful consideration of sponsors, leaders and members
5. Team members were trained: financial acumen focusing on costs, analytical thinking, change management, and teaming skills
6. Teams worked and identified cost savings and capabilities needed
7. Teams disbanded and education along with changes were anchored in the culture & management systems of the organization
Ultimately it is all about culture –creating a culture of cost innovation so it becomes a way of life for your organization –no matter what the size!
Tags: Cost Cutting, Cost Innovation
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February 1st, 2012
We often talk about the importance of looking outside in - constantly keeping your pulse on the finger of your Customers and Consumers - two important questions we always ask Senior Leaders are what did you learn and what are the implications for your organization. Enjoy the article with those in mind.
Click here to read the full article: Why McDonald’s should have known better
Tags: brand marketing, business, implications, learning, social media
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February 1st, 2012
This is an important concept – people should always “dig” in and ask the important questions during times of change –What do we need to preserve? What is core to who we are? What makes us unique and different? Have we lost that? How do we know? If we still have it, how would we describe it?
At your next meeting –spend time talking about this –no matter what the size of your organization, it is worth the time. Then ask “What must we stop doing or do differently to preserve the core?”
Tags: leadership Change
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October 18th, 2011
Wouldn’t you like to be a fly on a wall? Did you ever wonder what they were saying about you? Whether it is a board of directors, the Chief Marketing Officer, or your immediate boss, someone is talking about you and your future. Are you leaving your succession conversations in the hands of others? Just as importantly, what tools or process is the organization using to guide the process? A recent survey by the American Management Association indicated that most organizations still use informal approaches to identify future leaders. What implications does that have on you and your organization?
Four things you should do:
- Be honest with yourself about what it important to you. Declare it to others. What does a meaningful workplace mean to you and those that you mentor? A couple of good references are Neal Chalofsky’s Meaningful Workplaces and Dave Ulrich’s The Why of Work.
- Are you mobile? A former boss of mine told me to remember “everyone is mobile until they ask you to move.” It is ok to challenge the status quo - what does mobility mean in today’s world of work? After all, it is your life we are talking about here.
- Finally, what tools does the organization have in place to guide this process for you? How much time and energy do you have invested in this? If you invest your time here - just like you would with one important presentation, you would be better off. How have you approached it when you were in a job search externally?
- Try getting it down on one page. It is hard to do, but it will make it clear in your own mind. There are many tools out there for your own use.
Are you slipping through the cracks?
 Source: American Management Association Enterprise, 2011
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September 23rd, 2011
USA Today Money Section & Our Thoughts
What a mess! One of the stalwart blue chip companies seems to have lost its way. Leadership and thinking differently about the business is more critical than ever. Where is their leadership bench strength? How did they get into this situation? How will Meg Whitman do? Does she provide a fresh perspective? Only time will tell. A few thoughts for Whitman:
- Reset expectations for internal and external stakeholders
- Declare a turnaround in and focus the thinking and action in 3 key areas –
- Strategy (Where the company needs to play and how they can win) — This includes opening the minds to people inside the organization through the rigor and discipline of assessing what is needed through the eyes of the customer and consumer
- Financials (Cost Out — Capabilities In) — Build a mindset of taking cost out and reinvesting a portion of the savings into organizational capabilities
- Innovation (Building on the Financials) — Functional Excellence in cost and capability for each function in the organization will create a new way of thinking about the organization
If Whitman is quickly about to change the thinking — she will build the leadership bench and not only change, but set the organization up for sustained success.
Click here to read the full USAToday.com article.
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August 15th, 2011
Google / Motorola Deal — Forget technology — it will be the strategic choices around culture that make a difference.
When we teach about strategy in our seminars, we talk about strategy as choices. One of the primary challenges is to get leaders to look at both the “hard” and “soft” choices they must make. The “hard” or “business” focus on elements such as products, technology, market share, customer and consumer, is a given. What is not always a parallel conversation are the “soft” or “cultural” elements, such as behaviors, rituals, engagement, relationships, etc. Although it is part of the conversation, it is often relegated to “implications on people” or “impact on culture” and can easily be reversed. What impact will these cultures have on the products and services of the future of this combined organization? It will be interesting to see how the two organizations will “merge” cultures.
To read the full Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2011/08/15/google-buys-motorola-mobility-for-12-5b-revs-up-patent-portfolio/
Tags: business, choices, culture, primary challenges of strategy, strategy
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July 1st, 2011
How did Facebook think differently about the future? How did MySpace loose its competitive advantage? News Corporation paid $580 Million for MySpace six years ago and sold it this week for $35 Million?
What happened? When asked what doomed the site, a former executive pointed to a litany of potential cause. I find it interesting that they were all internal. A good thinking tool such as a 7C analysis would have helped — a fact-based assessment of changes among — Internal (Company and Colleagues) and External (Competitor, Customers, Consumers, Cater gory , Community) would have led them to determine and think through issues and implications for the future.
Enjoy the read
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/news-corp-sells-myspace-for-35-million/?scp=2&sq=myspace&st=Search
Tags: business news facebook
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May 31st, 2011
N.Y. Times Business Section: What did MySpace not do …? Who was the Consumer?
How did Facebook think differently about the future? How did MySpace loose its competitive advantage? News Corporation paid $580 Million for MySpace six years ago and sold it this week for $35 Million?
What happened? When asked what doomed the site, a former executive pointed to a litany of potential cause. I find it interesting that they were all internal. A good thinking tool such as a 7C analysis would have helped — a fact-based assessment of changes among — Internal (Company and Colleagues) and External (Competitor, Customers, Consumers, Cater gory , Community) would have led them to determine and think through issues and implications for the future.
Enjoy the read
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/news-corp-sells-myspace-for-35-million/?scp=2&sq=myspace&st=Search
Tags: branding EVP, Employee Engagement, Employee Value Proposition, EVP, high value, top talent
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