structure a business with a scalable model that can accommodate the inevitable

I began my role as senior VP international operations, by reviewing the performance of offshore sites around the world.  Most were profitable, but a few existed only to serve large international clients who demanded  global capacity from their suppliers. The UK office employed a skeleton staff with  expenses cut to the bone.   Five people with...

Like an expert jazz group, successful small companies succeed when a limited

number of players are motivated by the founder’s vision. They know the team’s strengths and limitations, can cover for each other, are experts at shooting from the hip, can change direction on the fly and are capable of multi-tasking—in short, they do whatever it takes...

Aligning a culture to support strategic initiatives such as delivering

on a brand promise, begins with the clarification of shared values—a task that is easier said than done—the critical factor is the word “shared”.  Values are not what organizations claim or wish them to be.  Values are signaled to the world by what a company tolerates. ...

Knowing what to do and doing it are two very different things.  Clearly

the best way to get rich is to make a lot of money; the surest way to cure insomnia is to get more sleep; or the way to reduce weight is to exercise and eat less. Awareness, understanding, knowledge and inspiration are critical to the success of any strategic initiative, but alone...

Yesterday’s primary market differentiation was the delivery of quality

.  A company that I founded—Achieve—won “top of mind” in an emerging market by warning CEOs (enamored by 3M offering a consulting intervention purported to deliver replication of  their impressive record) that initiatives such as Total Quality would fail without cultural...

The world has changed. Cold calling and networking are becoming less relevant

During the latter part of the industrial-age, aligning culture (the collective habits used by a group of people to get things done) in support of TOTAL QUALITY was the key determinant of success—particularly in the manufacturing sector.  In today’s “noisy” and crowded world, inbound marketing has replaced quality the  key success factor—...

Corporate mergers present complex challenges.  Most issues get resolved

Mergers unfreeze organizations—everything will be up in the air.  Initially productivity will be disrupted but when  handled properly, the turbulence will be an asset.  An organization development guru, The late Dr. Ron Lippitt said “new orders are borne of chaos”.  Successful merged entities consider themselves a “new order”.  Left...

Yesterday, I had a disastrous experience with a plumbing company that

promotes itself as, “The Punctual Plumber”. They were selected because of an appealing brand promise—a promise that was not kept.  I’m sure that this company’s inbound marketing program, the script used by its out of state call center, a well practiced and obviously mandatory...

If  you’ve ever stood under a high-voltage transmission line, you know

the sound of energy flowing.  A similar snap, crackle, and pop can be heard in high performance cultures.  It’s evident the moment you step through the door. Every employee appears turned on—they are proud of what their organization contributes and are excited to be part...

Cattle are branded to differentiate them from similar beasts grazing in

overcrowded pastures.  Individual animals (read: products/services) eventually die—but  an indelible mark (read: brand promise) connects them, while  alive, to reputation  and values developed over time by  the  herd (read company).  A company’s capacity to consistantly...