Unconscious decision making can be detrimental to your company’s health
Late one Sunday evening I pulled a couple of frozen yogurt bars from the freezer we keep in the garage. Earlier in the week, my son had mentioned that we should defrost that freezer, a task I’d been putting off. … Continue reading
Reading the market
As an electronics enthusiast, I started tracking videotape recorders in 1956, when Ampex introduced its first unit, which sold for $50,000. By the early 1970s, the arc of enabling technology suggested the feasibility of a consumer device within five years. … Continue reading
Commit, explode, recover – a winning strategy
Bill Walsh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl championships, had a simple strategy for winning. He felt that his football team needed to follow a cycle of “commit, explode, recover.” To win in football or in … Continue reading
Are you floating or navigating toward your goal?
A squid fishing boat ended up off the western shore of Canada a year after the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Without anyone on board to navigate, it still crossed the Pacific intact, illustrating a paraphrase of an old saying, “if you … Continue reading
What strategic planners can learn from honeybees
New research on how honeybees choose a location for a new hive reveals a decision process that parallels how the most successful companies identify new markets to enter. There is an ideal size for a new hive, according to an … Continue reading
Why you need face-to-face meetings
I recently participated in a five-hour videoconference. In so many respects, the technology was amazing. We had participants from across the US who only had to step into their office at work or at home to join the meeting. I … Continue reading
Smartphones, iPads, multitasking and not really “being there”
When I was ten, I asked my dad why we didn’t have a telephone like all the other kids’ families had. I remember his answer to this day. “If we had a phone, people would just call us.” My dad … Continue reading
Harry Potter and the power of vision
Mary and I have just gotten back from viewing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two. We have read, and re-read all seven books. We have listened to the Stephen Fry audio books over and over again. We have … Continue reading
The most valuable asset you have is your team
Over the course of my career, I’ve seen many CEOs who underutilize their teams. This letter, written in response to a New York Times article, recently caught my attention. The author’s management insight is not limited to the medical profession. … Continue reading
Today’s youth don’t have the same values as I did
Jack, the CEO of one of my client companies, was complaining that people today don’t have the same values as he did. “Why, when I was a kid I had two paper routes. How many of today’s kids have the … Continue reading