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October 2015 – Secret Weapons in the War for Talent
Secret Weapons in the War for Talent The war for talent is on. A war driven by the upcoming wave of retiring knowledge workers and the competition for their replacements. (click here to read some previous facts and figures compiled by PriSim) But how do you attract the best and brightest to your company above…
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September 2015 – Leadership Lessons from Kim Jong Un?
Leadership Lessons from Kim Jong Un? There must be a lot we can learn about the delicate art of leadership from someone who actually carries the title “Supreme Leader”. And in fact Kim Jong Un’s unique style of leadership did catch the eye of a Forbes columnist. (click here to read more) Along with the…
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August 2015 – Which Would You Choose: Agility or Efficiency?
Which Would You Choose: Agility or Efficiency? Doing things well is important. But what if you’re doing the wrong things? Taking the time to create a shared mission and a “corporate consciousness” can increase overall productivity, even if doing so actually lowers overall efficiency. Whether or not your silos are working perfectly – they’re still…
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July 2015 – Beware of Mis-Analyzing Data Analytics
Beware of Mis-Analyzing Data Analytics Did you know that when iPhone sales go up, more people die by falling down the stairs? It kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? Actually, no it doesn’t. It’s a random correlation between 2 data sets that Harvard Business Review (click here) cobbled together to remind us that “correlation doesn’t…
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June 2015 – Get Lost. (in the details)
Get Lost (in the details) Customer experience is often impacted by “small stuff”. So maybe you should sweat the small stuff after all. Faulty door handles on Tesla’s cars, a frustrating radio interface in Fords, and impossible-to-read serial numbers on Bosch dishwashers. Sometimes it’s the seemingly unimportant things that wind up ruining the customer experience. Are you missing any boring little…
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May 2015 – Can Big Hearts Create Big Profits?
Can Big Hearts Create Big Profits? A company’s charitable actions can make a difference to its net profits. The “benevolent halo effect” leads customers to believe that the products of socially responsible companies are better-performing. Beware of bending the facts to fit a sales goal, though. Fast-food chain Chipotle is being grilled for “stoking anti-GMO…
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April 2015 – This is Not Your Father’s Industry Definition
This is Not Your Father’s Industry Definition 20 years ago the idea of Apple making cars would probably have sounded crazy – it’s not even the same industry. But it doesn’t sound crazy now, and Cupertino is squaring off with Detroit. Conventional companies should be wary of their conventions – you might be in the…
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Chasing Growth Can Turn a For-Profit Company into a No-Profit
It seems many companies today are chasing growth. As an example, Amazon invests most of its cash into growing the company. The goal is to solidify a position in the market first and earn money later on the investment. But that strategy doesn’t always work: nine years after acquiring YouTube, Google still hasn’t found a…
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February 2015 – No Debtors’ Prison For These Companies…
No Debtors’ Prison For These Companies… Our students frequently struggle with the question of how much debt they should carry. Many come to the same conclusion as some leading companies such as Facebook and Visa: to have almost no debt. Debt has its advantages. It can be used to pay dividends, buy-back shares, or grow…
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January 2015 – Amazon Plays with Fire (Phone)
Amazon Plays with Fire (Phone) A wait-and-see approach can help a company avoid the hazards of being a First Mover in a new, untested market space. But you can also miss an opportunity by being too late to market. A recent example is the Fire Phone. Amazon was not a First Mover or a Fast…