Do I think we’re headed for an economic downturn? Yes. Absolutely. Definitely. Why do I say that? And for that matter, why would I say such a thing when it’s usually my goal to offer you mostly positive stuff when you visit here? I say yes, we absolutely, definitely are headed for an economic downturn. […]
Organizational Design
Behind every great leader is a great…leader?
In addition to holding records for coaching the most wins in UCLA basketball history, John Wooden authored several superb books on leadership and how to succeed while staying focused on what is most important in life. Wooden often recalled the wisdom of his former college coach, Piggy Lambert. Once, when Lambert was asked by the […]
Nordstrom’s threw the book away?
I‘m a huge fan of using guiding principles. In fact, I often suggest trying to replace formal strategic plans with a good set of memorable, actionable guiding principles wherever possible. You can find more on that HERE if you’re interested. The idea of forgoing formal strategic plans for a handful of guiding principles may sound […]
Harvey Mackay Shares 10 valuable business lessons from Santa
I grabbed this article from BizJournals.com. It originally appeared last year, and here’s a direct link if you’d like to read the original post. Good article and a good site! Harvey Mackay: 10 valuable business lessons from Santa Santa brings merriment to the season, but he also teaches us many valuable business lessons. No matter […]
Krugman was wrong?
Oh no, you may be thinking. Krugman was wrong? Say it ain’t so! Not Krugman! To be honest, I had never heard of Paul Krugman until I ran across this little tidbit on a Motley Fool Podcast. Paul Krugman is an economist who, in 1996, said that by 2005 or so the economic impact of […]
Beards blunting razor sales?
Gillette has always made a good razor, one capable of commanding a premium price and maintaining a loyal following, which is an excellent formula for success in any market sector. Procter & Gamble recognized this several years ago and wisely purchased the company to add to its stable of other category-dominating brands. But sometimes even […]
Why you shouldn’t be too quick to change a strategy (or a whole system)…
A systems approach in the design of any organization, big, small, for profit, not-for-profit, governmental, whatever, is a good idea. When you systematize the process, you have the opportunity to powerfully replicate what works and potentially avoid what causes inefficiencies. If you want to revisit some of the reasons why a systems approach will help […]
Best word business ever added to its decision-making vocabulary
Arguably the smartest business word ever uttered, and adopted into the business vocabulary, is “contingency.” The dictionary defines contingency as “A future event or circumstance that is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty.” Doesn’t that apply to just about every aspect of strategy in any sector? Nothing can be predicted with certainty and nothing […]