And, therein lies the terror for big companies that innovation seems to work best outside them,” says the Economist.[i] Behemoth companies try to institutionalize new thinking and doing through ‘knowledge centers’ and ‘idea factories’ as 3M, Procter & Gamble, and Rubbermaid have tried. Only one problem! These ideas sound great but don’t seem to work …
Your Employer’s Biggest Fear: I’m Taking My Idea with Me Read More »
According to Treacy and Wiersma, a Brand U company competes on one of three value disciplines, specifically on operational value, product leadership, or customer intimacy. Operationally excellent companies offer middle-of-the-market products at a competitive price with the least convenience. Product-leader companies offer products that push performance boundaries while customer-intimate companies deliver products and services that …
How do you establish Brand U value? This is done two ways: 1. through lifelong learning and 2. constant personal innovation. “Innovation has become the industrial religion of the late 20th century,” says The Economist.[i] Businesses view innovation as the key to capture markets and increase profits. We’ll discuss two types of innovation in this …
Products: Something produced by human or mechanical effort or by a natural process; a direct result.[i] A major theme of this book is that we’re all leaders of our Brand U destinies, or CEO of our careers. In other words, we are all portable producers of value. As a product, we may offer a courteous …
Pickle wars? There’s no such thing. Well, guess again! In all products and services, there is death-defying competition and innovation. Companies bet the company on a new product or service. And, these services have to be launched faster and better than your competitors. This is also happening in pickles. Vlasic Foods recently developed a three-inch …
The productivity of a work group seems to depend on how the group members see their own goals in relation to the goals of the organization. Paul Hersey, Professor
Is fast. Team is adaptable and can morph to changing circumstances. Is small. Team size depends on the team’s objective but usually has critical mass of 3 to 12 people. More people result in a looser focus. Focuses on the project objective. The project team is driven to get the job done and each …
So, the critical question for these specialists and professionals is: How do they differentiate ourselves from the competition when others provide the same services or products. Some believe that we will wear many hats as Brand U professionals so that at each employment project stop, we’ll be enhancing our Brand U resumes by acquiring skills, …
Professions, such as accounting, medicine, and architecture are at a crossroads. All professional cartels are disappearing. These professions were once thought to be the road to riches or the lifetime meal ticket. No more! They’ve changed unalterably due to competitive pressures, cost pressures, social attitudes, business habits, and technology. For example, accounting is changing because …
Over the last several years, your employer may have downsized, restructured, rightsized, transformed, teamed, and refocused itself. This may mean different things to you. You’ve been asked to do more with less. Your friends have been fired. You’re working longer hours. Your bosses are making stupid decisions. You’re getting paid less per hour than last …