Strategy
Killing The Now
Earlier this month, word came out of the Associated Press (AP) planning to introduce a “copy fee” for its content. What it meant was that people using five or more words of the AP’s content would have to pay for it. Copying content from the AP is what the AP considers to be “unauthorized use”. [...]
The Double-Edged Sword That Is Social Media
There’s been a lot of talk about social media being something companies must engage in. The dramatic increase in people who label themselves as social media experts/gurus has been ridiculous. Often times, they are also the ones clamoring that social media is the ultimate solution for companies to market themselves. Except, it isn’t. Social media [...]
Good To Great To Gone: Circuit City
For those who have read Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great” (Amazon link), you’ll remember that Circuit City was used as one of the select examples of “good to great” companies. If you haven’t read the book, I can definitely recommend it. Circuit City basically dominated the stock market—beating average performance by 22 times at [...]
Natural
Some companies switch their strategic and operational focus. Consider Kimberley-Clark, which started out as a manufacturer of industrial paper, but switched its focus entirely toward consumer goods. Kimberley-Clark was able to make the transition not only because it was well-considered, but it was a good, natural move for its management. Opportunities will come and go, [...]
Combining Long-Term Thinking With Real-Time Action
The growing challenge that companies face these days is the real-time stream. News, information, developments, feedback, et cetera are increasingly available and confronting you in real-time. Real-time information often requires real-time action, but how does that affect long-term planning? Long-term strategies—or strategies in general if you will—have always focused on achievements, objectives that needed to [...]
Protect The Future
Last month I had the opportunity to visit a presentation and Q&A session with Jeff Immelt. Jeff talked about numerous subjects such as the presidential elections, the economic downturn, corporate social responsibility, and—of course—life as the CEO of General Electric (GE). He also mentioned “protecting the future”. Every major business decision and business activity was [...]
What’s Your Plan B?
As the economy continues to take heavy hits, what’s your plan B? Perhaps sales are down or worse, your job is in danger. Either way, this is a good time to reflect. Take the time to reflect on what should be rather than what could be. The current economic circumstances form the best stress-test for [...]
The Redundant Human
Advancement in information and industrial technology has resulted in many new solutions that make human involvement unnecessary. Take travel websites for example. Websites like Expedia, Orbitz and—my personal favorite—Kayak are able to search the web for you to find the best deal for your next vacation. Where does the good old travel agency come in? [...]
