Blog 2 Column

Predicting and Planning for the Unexpected

Mar 8, 2013adminBusiness Improvement, Operations, Planning, Risk Management

In our business (and our life), we often mistake those events unplanned but not improbable, with those truly unexpected. For example, it’s certainly not unexpected that we’ll have snow each winter in New England, especially here in the hills of central Massachusetts. And yet, I’ve heard many times over the years some version of “we weren’t able to make our plan in the first quarter because of all the snow we had in the northeast.” It rarely sounds convincing. That said, most of us don’t plan for snow days in our business, like they do at the local school. We […]

The One Thing You Really Must Have

Jan 2, 2013adminBusiness Improvement, Leadership Development, Operations, Planning

Success in business (and in life) is a function of many things, but short of luck, there is one ingredient we all must have. Growth, profit and success – for individuals and for organizations – requires a plan. This isn’t news. We all know and understand that a script is necessary for clarifying objectives (mission, vision, strategy) and for detailing the action agenda. We’ve learned and used this before, and pundits and advisors (like me) are constantly reminding us of the importance of the business plan, marketing plan, weight loss plan, and such. So, if planning is so critical, and […]

Strategic Business Planning Won’t Help You, If …

Nov 15, 2012adminBusiness Improvement, Leadership Development, Planning

Over the years I’ve worked with scores of companies on strategic business planning. Some firms were really in to it. Others it seemed were just moving through the motions – as though strategic planning were something they simply had to do, to check off a list. Today I’m frankly more choosy about whom I work with. There’s no point in investing the time, money, and other resources necessary for long view planning – unless senior leaders are truly invested, and all in. Successful strategic planning requires two parts: first, crafting a compelling and energizing future vision for the organization; and […]

Performance Perfection and the Magic of Baseball

Oct 16, 2012adminBusiness Improvement, Leadership Development, Operations, Planning, Risk Management

Many professionals are perfectionists, always striving for an elusive measure of quality and beauty in their work. For them, there’s a right way and wrong way for achieving all results. A little more time, a little more effort, and the final product will be better – closer to perfect. At times, this desire for perfection makes sense. In designing and building structures for instance, there is often a right and wrong way to proceed. There are visible examples of projects gone wrong. Engineers know well that done poorly, foundations will crack, roads buckle, and bridges fall down. Scientists who subvert […]

What’s Our Deal? – In the Fast Future Ahead

Sep 20, 2012adminBusiness Improvement, Leadership Development, Operations, Planning

Years ago a friend named Pete offered me some unsolicited advice about dating. He said “John, sooner or later every woman is going to ask you the question: ‘What’s our deal?’ At that moment, unless you’re ready to tie the knot, that relationship will be over.” Now Pete was a smooth operator (perhaps not as smooth as he thought), and a real gift to the ladies (he certainly thought so) – but really, he was right. All of us – both women and men – want to know the deal – what the game is, where we’re headed, how we’ll […]

Changeophile or Changeophobe – What’s Your Sign?

Aug 30, 2012adminBusiness Improvement, Leadership Development, Operations, Planning

How do you see change? Is change basically good, not so good, or depend on context? Are you a changeophile or changeophobe? Be honest. What’s your sign? In the big picture and over time, it’s seems clear that much of change has been good – resulting in significant improvements for societies, cultures, and peoples around the world. Innovation, change, and development is itself I think subject to ‘survival of the fittest’ pressure, so that useful change is embraced, while new ideas and actions that provide little utility are not sustained. Of course the value of some change is debatable. For […]