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Category Archives: Perform / Execution
Hire Smart or Manage Tough – Sound (But Often Forgotten) Hiring Advice
“No management style can undo the damage of a poor hiring decision.” Red Scott In the quick read, Hire Smart or Manage Tough, Red Scott, the former Vice-Chairman of Pier One Imports and a grand-nephew of legendary tough guy, General … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Perform / Execution, Team / People
Tagged Hiring, Human Resources, Leadership Development, Team Development
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Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing – Appropriate for Any Process
In his still-insightful 1999 book, Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing: Straight Talk from a Plant Manager, John W. Davis discusses how to improve a manufacturing operation by a simple and relentless focus on waste. The methodology he describes is really … Continue reading
Lessons from a Customer
Over the last month, my family and I have moved from Chandler, Arizona to Newport Beach, California. We sold our house in Chandler, moved ourselves and our belongings, and bought a house in Newport Beach. As so many of you … Continue reading
The “Hard Work” Myth
A few months ago, there was a lot of discussion and a bit of vitriol about Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, and her habit of leaving the office at 5:30 pm in order to have dinner with her family. … Continue reading
The McKinsey Way – A Strong Primer on Problem Solving
Way back in 1999, Ethan M. Rasiel (full disclosure: a business school colleague of mine) penned The McKinsey Way: Using the Techniques of the World’s Top Strategic Consultants to Help You and Your Business. In the book, Rasiel reveals the … Continue reading
Lady Luck Always Has Her Day
Whether we like it or not, a good deal of what happens to us in our lives, our careers and our businesses comes down to luck and fortunate timing. The chance meeting with someone that led to a job and … Continue reading
The Oz Principle – Be Accountable, Be Responsible, Be Answerable
In their book, The Oz Principle – Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability, Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman discuss the pervasive lack of accountability in the corporate world. Dirty Little Secret The dirty little secret is that … Continue reading
Grow and Win With New Product (and Service) Development
In today’s slow-growth economy, companies are struggling to find new ways to grow. All too often, current products are mature and current markets are saturated with competition. To escape these brutal facts and find a new avenue for growth, companies … Continue reading
4 Basic (Often Overlooked) Steps to Operational Excellence
Achieving operational excellence is vital to ensure that your company executes and fulfills its strategic goals. As a result, companies have spent millions of dollars and countless hours on advanced programs such as lean manufacturing, six sigma, kaizen events, ISO … Continue reading
Understanding Michael Porter: An Indispensable Handbook on Strategy
Published in December 2011, Joan Magretta’s Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy, is an excellent and timely book about business strategy. It discusses the ideas and frameworks from the guru of business strategy, Michael Porter. I … Continue reading
Growth By Acquisition – An Introduction
Mergers and acquisitions can be effective tools to speed the growth and development of your company. Through acquisitions your business can expand into new geographic areas, enter new market spaces, broaden product lines, develop relationships with new and growing customers, and … Continue reading
Posted in Growth and Strategy, Perform / Execution
Tagged Acquisitions, Growth, Mergers, Strategy
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To Get Things Done, We Need More Meetings…With Ourselves
The majority of businesspeople are drowning in meetings – staff meetings, review meetings, planning meetings, etc…. The majority of businesspeople are inundated with distractions – colleagues stopping by open offices, a tidal wave of E-Mail, the allure of Facebook and … Continue reading
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength – A Critical Book to Help You Realize Your Business and Personal Success
In their excellent book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney discuss the importance of willpower in ensuring that you get done what you need to get done and thus achieve your goals. Please use … Continue reading
Posted in Perform / Execution, Personal Success
Tagged Self-Control, Success, Willpower, Willpower Book Summary
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Competing in a “Low Price” World
In most industries, the business environment remains brutal: growth is slow or non-existent; and price competition is rampant. The question on the minds of many business executives is simple: How can I increase profits and grow when all my customers … Continue reading
Posted in Growth and Strategy, Perform / Execution
Tagged Competition, Low Price, Strategy
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The Agenda (Michael Hammer): Useful for This Decade as Well
Way back in 2001, Michael Hammer authored The Agenda: What Every Business Must Do to Dominate the Decade. Slightly more than a decade later, the thoughts and insights in this book remain relevant and worth summarizing. The key assumption in … Continue reading
Jack: Straight From the Gut
In Jack: Straight From the Gut, famed GE CEO Jack Welch (with John A. Byrne), gives a no-nonsense take on what made his 20-year tenure at GE so successful. The first fundamental in strategy is to be in the right … Continue reading
‘Tis a Gift to Be Simple
In a previous blog (Why is Business So Complex?), I highlighted the factors that drive business leaders and businesses towards greater and greater complexity and more and more work. Yes, business is complex. And that complexity cannot be ignored. But, … Continue reading
Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School
In his book, Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School, Philip Delves Broughton recounts his experience as a student at HBS. It is an interesting read, especially for those planning to go to business school. For our … Continue reading
Business Turnaround 301 – Right People Doing the Right Job
In discussing business turnarounds, we have seen that the three fundamentals to turn a troubled business around are as follows: Understand Reality, Face Reality Focus, Prioritize, Plan (Less is More) Right People Doing the Right Job Today, we turn our … Continue reading
Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
In their book, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan and Charles Burck drive home the point that execution is vital. The difference between a company and its competitors is its ability to execute; that is … Continue reading
David M. Shedd - Move Your Company Forward 