I was working with a firm in a session the other day and we had one of those moments of clarity. They had done some great work in previous meetings and had set the stage for growth decision making by taking stock of relevant hard and soft assets of the firm, carefully integrating objective outside […]
I recall it clearly: I was working with a small manufacturing team that was looking to break out of their current niche. We had begun doing work on the business model canvas and Growth Zone principles. We were looking for opportunities in Quadrant One (which is the core), but seeing their strengths and weaknesses effectively […]
It happens in every firm: the core product saturates its main market and top-line growth stagnates. Margins come under pressure next, and unless investments are made to seek new markets, the firm will inevitably decline. It was a lesson I learned well early in my career. I was part of an industrial telecom group that […]
So have you ever been called to an offsite meeting, only to realize that there are some new players in attendance that you haven’t met before? Not only that, they are the new owners of your division? Yes, I have. Have you ever shown up to work and realized that there is a new […]
The frustration was visible, “I just don’t get it,” she said, face flushed and jaw clenched. “We worked nights and weekends for the last 18 months getting this ready. And now not to see any orders in the pipeline? It’s too much.” I had three conversations with executives in the last 10 days – all […]
I recall teaching my young drivers how to drive a standard shift vehicle. Many of you have been there and can probably relate – matching the engine’s churning to the car’s needs is not easy. Frequently when people are learning, they end up creating lots more power than the car can use and exaggerated clutch […]
I was leading a session for a group last week and going over how to build a strong, impactful, cross-functional team. During this discussion, one of the group members asked why I recommended so strongly that highly-influential internal candidates be sought out. It was one of those questions that triggers a set of scenes in […]
True Story: Early in my career, the firm I was with had the good fortune of receiving a large windfall tax credit that resulted in both a hiring blitz and an ability to suddenly move forward with a number of programs that had been on the drawing board for a long time. Naturally, while the […]
I was talking with a colleague at a recent summer gathering, and she is seeing the same thing I am: lots of firms that were started by Baby Boomers are being “rolled up” by Private Equity into groups of like companies. In nearly every case, these vibrant, individual firms experience a huge shock to their […]
It’s that moment. It’s among the hardest things that growth leaders need to do. After discovering and validating a new product or service (which seems like the hard part), they need to bring the people on board that can help scale and integrate the offering. This is the point when many strong and well-built new […]
