I write about what I am interested in. My experience and passion are about helping executives innovate and execute strategies through projects. The types of projects that fascinate me are those that enable business processes through technology in an extremely valuable way.
So, who is my audience? I would think anyone who, like me, is involved […]
Having been in the technology-enablement-of-business-processes industry for over 20 years I’m still amazed that the value of excellent IT systems and underlying data is not recognized. The latest example of this is in CFO magazine’s article on new software and services that help companies assess the IT assets of acquisition targets. Bruce Richardson of […]
Recent CFO magazine article on creating trust comments on several techniques and approaches:
1. Mirroring gestures and language creates perception of being on the same page.
2. Face-to-face communications trump email.
3. Detailed “contracts” lead to going back to the contract instead of you.
Trust seems to require honesty which, the article implies, isn’t the most important thing. I […]
Last week I dealt with an impasse related to a start-up’s decision to pursue funding now (my preference) or 6-9 months later. The founder is being advised by one group to wait until a new sales approach bears fruit before pursuing angel funding. My take is that he has enough of a business case for […]
Despite cautions about comparing lean manufacturing and agile software development principles, there is more and more being discussed and written about it. A Rally Software white paper (registration required) does a pretty good job of discussing 5 levels of agile planning but precedes the discussion by talking about “core lean elements” of muri (overburden), mura […]
One success story I like to tell has to do with a well run company where the CEO’s sales vision was successfully executed. I was part of a consultative sales team that was told to adopt a value selling process requiring selling a software solution to the prospect’s C-level. Our approach was to understand the […]
A great article in Strategy+Business, “A Blueprint for Strategic Leadership”, concentrates on how to lead innovation. In it the authors emphasize that the best leaders pay a great deal of attention to the design of the elements around them. Seemingly basic, but powerful, things to do are:
1. Articulate purpose,
2. Create effective teams,
3. Prioritize and sequence […]
A Booz Allen Hamilton survey and report in Strategy+Business (register for free) found NO correlation existed between R&D spend and innovation. It turns out that higher innovation performers spent less but made sure that innovation projects aligned with corporate strategy and paid careful attention to customers. This idea that a company can spend less and […]
When I ask “what do you think?” I’m really looking for thoughts, reactions, different ways to use concepts, and how you feel about what I write. Something as simple as a word being used in a different way can spark my thinking and drive my writing. For example, one commentor, who admitted he was intimidated […]
For Kay our entreprenuer in b5media’s apprenticeship challenge and, of course, YOU:
Show that you care deeply about your employees by saying “what can the company do to further your career”, and then do it; this creates people who will do anything to make you successful.
What do you think? If you like the advice go to […]
Innovation and executing strategies through projects
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