So, you’ve developed a new e-commerce business model and want to do your own thing, to commercialize your great idea. It may be a killer application, a new process, or an artificial intelligence search engine. Whatever it is, you’ve learned that it’s much easier to start from a clean slate to create a Brand U …
Brand U’s believe in change. They use change to position their ideas, career, projects, or themselves. By definition, each Brand U is a personal change agent. Or sometimes, Brand U’s are tapped to become organizational change agents. The challenge is that change management is a tough organizational assignment. So often, the CEO delegates it to …
If senior management mandates or imposes a phony value system on an organization, people know and feel it. They perceive this as another mandate or fad from above. And management fads come and go. Fads are seldom around long enough to be internalized. There’s little time for the initiative to be evaluated before something else …
Brand U culture is dynamic not static. Culture must reflect the environment and competitive marketplace. Culture then changes with the times. For example, AT&T as a regulated monopoly for a hundred years had a culture that stressed the highest production standards and highest service. Customers were willing to pay for the service through their rate …
Brand U core values are often distilled in myths, symbols, metaphors, and rituals. At first glance, they don’t seem to have much place in a business organization. However, they play a conscious or unconscious role in many organizations. Corporate images and reputations are evolving into core competencies for success. Reputation and image stimulate positive associations …
The average American pays little attention to profitability or stock performance when evaluating a corporation. We really don’t respond to faceless corporations but to their products, reputation, and media character. It turns out that we relate to simple, gut things such as the organization’s stand on safety, environment, trust, and yes, even babies. “Reputation is …
Principles: A basic truth, law, or assumption; a basic source. Jost, David, Ed., The American Heritage College Dictionary, 3rd Edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
“We don’t have time for this stuff.” “This too shall pass.” “We have no help.” “This stuff isn’t relevant.” “I’m a short termer.” “They’re not walking the talk!” “This stuff is …” “Don’t bother me with small stuff.” “This stuff isn’t working.” “They’re acting like a cult.” “I’m a temp, so it doesn’t affect …
Virtual teams are somewhat new but will become more prevalent as Brand U organizations, and Brand U individuals, develop state of the art, ‘world class’ technologies, skills, capabilities, information, or other resources. In a virtual team, each Brand U is an expert. Value-added capabilities are brought in. Synergies arise. The output is greater than the …
Many of today’s young Brand U’s were brought up in a permissive environment where questioning was an accepted form of behavior. Authority was also questioned. Rules were made to be broken. These Brand U’s threaten traditional managers who demand unquestioning obedience. Both management and employees may feel threatened by change. Management may feel threatened when …