This audio was recorded by an AI program. In reference to Amazon’s growth strategy, Jeff Bezos famously said, “You need to be stubborn on your vision, but … very flexible on the details.” In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, where the unexpected is pretty much all you can expect, organizations must remain agile and adaptive. […]
The Art of Strategic Balance: Fixed Vision, Fluid Details Read More »
Click here to watch a video of this post on YouTube In my recent conversations with chief strategy officers (CSOs), a recurring theme has emerged: the traditional annual strategic planning cycle is increasingly out of sync with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Since the beginning of capitalism, corporations have adhered to a yearly planning rhythm,
Polyrhythmic Planning: Reinventing Strategic Planning for Today’s Business Tempo Read More »
The following post was originally published in 2015. When Strategies Shift In 2008, at the start of the economic crisis, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner was stepping off an airplane in New York City. As he approached the car that would take him into the city, the porter carrying his luggage commented that the stock market’s
Strategic Alignment: A How-To Guide Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. Last month, in New York City, Outthinker Networks members convened a select group of seasoned strategy leaders who have expertise in customer-related functions (marketing, customer experience [CX], go-to-market, strategy, etc.) to co-create ideas for a new customer-related thought leadership platform. It was a pleasure engaging with a
Co-Creating Customer Strategy: Notes from Outthinker’s NYC Advisory Session Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. What does it take to lead in a polarized world? This month at Outthinker Networks, our community of chief strategy officers and innovation leaders met with Karthik Ramanna, professor of business and public policy at Oxford University and author of The Age of Outrage: How to Lead
This audio was recorded by an AI program. There’s an important shift happening in the way businesses approach success. Employees have become the new customers. I talked about the shift in a recent article (“The Evolution of Strategy: From Competition to Customers to Employees”). Organizational leaders can no longer treat their employees as secondary to
Level Up: Turn Work Into a Game Read More »
Many rapidly scaled companies won through channel strategy – finding or creating a new path to the customer. Consider Dell. They decided to sell PCs directly to consumers, bypassing traditional retailers. Salesforce delivered a customer relationship management (CRM) platform via the cloud, avoiding on-premises installations. Apple opened its own stores, reducing its dependence on third-party
A Hidden Key to Growth: Unlocking Your Channel Strategy Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. I’m just back from my second visit in the last month to Qingdao, China, where I attended an award ceremony conference that Haier calls the Zero Distance Awards. In addition to enjoying the beer (also called Qingdao) and seafood the city is known for, I got to
Transform from Bureaucracy to Entrepreneurialism in 3 Simple Steps Read More »
The following is an updated version of a post that was originally published in 2016. It is so easy to miss! When the future was lobbing softballs at you, you could hit the trends every time. But now the future has upped its game. It’s throwing fastballs and curveballs. Who would’ve predicted five years ago
How to Spot the Future Before it Arrives Read More »
Click here to listen to an AI recording of this post. I just returned from an exciting trip to Qingdao, China. In addition to eating brains and snails, I saw something that blew my mind when I visited a Haier washing machine factory. To the common observer, the process to create the appliances simply looks
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