Time to Change the Game?

Business Improvement, Leadership Development, Operations, Planning

Imagine that you’re running in a race (a marathon) and doing well. You’re at least four miles ahead of your nearest competitor, and with only a half a dozen miles to go. Things look pretty good. But then (all at once) you’re passed, by someone bounding along at nearly twice your speed – on some sort of high-tech, futuristic springy shoe-thingys. And then she is gone. Or imagine the opposite: you’re running the same race, but now it’s you that is more than ten miles behind, and with only a couple left. It’s clear that, as long as things stay […]

READ MORE

A Business Plan in Your Back Pocket?

Business Improvement, Operations, Planning

How long should a business plan be to be useful, actionable, and effective?  My answer:  three pages. You’re skeptical.  After all, if your 20, 50, or (with one former client) 300 page business plan (yikes!) isn’t working, then how can a three page plan even begin to address the … right? But your business is different.  It’s more involved, convoluted, complex.  There’s really no way to simplify your planning process. You have to do it this way (as you have for years) even though it isn’t really delivering the results you want. I’ve been at this business planning thing for […]

READ MORE

What Are You Measuring, and Why?

Business Development, Business Improvement, Operations, Planning

No doubt about it, measurement is popular today. At seminars and conferences, and in the management trade press, the subject of metrics is everywhere. The idea of quantifying business performance (and managing investments in business improvement) is very attractive – especially to technical types who strive for accuracy and precision in their work.  It’s a compelling objective. Moreover, measurement is also important to business focus.  There’s good sense in the old truism that “what gets measured, gets done.”  (And it’s clear that the opposite is true as well: objectives desired but not measured usually don’t happen – or happen well […]

READ MORE

Firm Success from the Inside Out

Business Improvement, Leadership Development, Planning

Last week the Gallup organization released a new report on the State of the American Workplace: http://www.gallup.com/strategicconsulting/163007/state-american-workplace.aspx . According to this new survey, 70% of American workers don’t like their jobs. About 50% of workers are ‘disengaged’ – they punch the clock and put in their time, but aren’t inspired by the work they do. More disturbing, 20% of workers are ‘actively disengaged’ – meaning they are gossiping at the water cooler, stirring up trouble, and even sabotaging the firm’s success. This is astounding. And the fact that this new report isn’t stirring up more serious outrage is itself an […]

READ MORE