We see it in other places all the time: a football team has a great game plan, dominates through the middle of the third quarter, then moves to a “defensive” plan, where their focus shifts to protecting the ball and running down the clock. The predictable outcome is that the opponent stops the run, receives […]
I’ve noticed a pattern when speaking about, and helping clients implement, growth programs: when we talk about the portfolio of products under development, there is a tendency to assume that all of those investments have the same potential return. The key to developing a successful growth portfolio is realizing the basic truth: not all investments […]
If you’ve ever had the experience of watching a group of junior high kids (ages 10-14) in a basketball camp, you’ll notice that a very curious thing happens on the first day. When you roll the balls out on the floor and allow for some unstructured warm-up time, the kids automatically congregate into two groups: […]
For many of us in North America, we are coming into a season of holiday celebrations, family events and travel. For those who have a calling to career and business, it’s also a time for some space, rest and introspection. If you feel like you just need to rest, I would encourage you to do […]
Travel, along with several digital and in-person events, have provided considerable insight into the current state of creative energy these last two weeks. Teams are wrapping up the planning and locking in ‘22 budgets. The question on everyone’s mind? What does it mean to deploy new products and services into an economy and market that […]
Running downhill refers to what happens in the NFL after a team’s running back repeatedly pushes through a defense later in the third and fourth quarters of the game. It’s at this point that the running back often finds there is a seemingly lowered resistance level because they’ve “softened up” the defense and players have […]
In recent workshops and coaching sessions, I’ve observed and heard an increasing pattern of decision fatigue. Are you seeing the same patterns with your teams and leaders? The operating model that we thought was going to be a temporary “sprint” has shifted into a long-term, always-connected commitment. Now, even as we all lean hard toward […]
With 2022 right around the corner, many firms are having discussions and making decisions about which new products and services to pursue in the next year and beyond. These choices, and how they are deployed, will lock in one of these three futures: The red path is one of decline, where more effort and investment […]
In the retail industry, the checkout lane is sometimes called the P&L finish line. It’s that magic place where goods and services are scanned and connected with a source of payment that the firm receives value. The myriad of actions on the upstream side of that line – advertising, delivery logistics, physical location, merchandising and […]
We’re on the cusp of 2022 planning and many teams are actively looking for resources for the projects that will help their teams move beyond survival mode and towards growth projects beyond the pilot stage. Of course, ops teams are still stretched thin, so finding time, budget and resources is as challenging as when the […]
