The Nashville Chamber of Commerce recently traveled toPortland,OR. to study the community and take away ideas for future improvements to the city ofNashville. Over 100 business leaders met with civic, education, and government officials. On the last day I was asked by a colleague, “what do we take away from this trip?” Portlandis a beautiful [...]
We have heard this cliché all of our lives. Have we ever stopped to acknowledge how it impacts us? This morning I sent an email to a long time client and it bounced back. Huh? I double checked the address, compared it against the one I had on file and the one from an email [...]
Times they are a changing! In the past decades, companies believed success was largely based on size. While growth is still important, many companies have untapped “riches” they have yet to cash in on. 1. Relationships: good relationships with customers, suppliers and potential alliances are “golden”. The opportunity to accomplish more by working in partnerships with [...]
Moneyball: a system of using statistical data to improve performance. Moneyball is more than a concept; it is a reality in today’s competitive business environment. By now, most companies realize that there is a lot of data out there they haven’t captured. Many are recognizing that by doing so they can generate significant advantage. In [...]
In the thirty years I have worked with corporations and their strategy, I have yet to see an organization that practices the strategy exactly as planned. There is invariably a gap between the intended plan and the operating actions of the company. That “slip” is the result of many things such as not reallocating resources [...]
Tomorrow is an awesome day–the day my first born son came into this world twenty-eight years ago. I can remember that day like yesterday; I’ll never forget the moment they laid him in my arms, entrusted to me by God to love and raise. I have made mistakes but I hope I have done more [...]
We ALL want things to be better tomorrow. If only wishing could make it so!! When was the last time you had a GREAT day–top to bottom? More likely you remember your last not so great day–when nothing went your way. I was reminded recently of a book I read to my kids called Alexander [...]
If I asked you what business you are in, it is likely you would describe your industry–food packaging, children advocacy, or banking for example. To date, no one has ever replied “pain management”. And yet, aren’t we all in that business? Doesn’t our success hinge on how well we manage pain? Let me explain. In [...]
Twenty years ago the four P’s defined the parameters of marketing–Place, Price, Product and Promotion. Without doubt these important levers are still used today to manage performance. Yet as our world, economy, technology, and knowledge change, so too do the P’s. Today there are four different P’s that have the power to make significant performance [...]
Believe it or not, when “staying the course” with yoru business, strategic planning (or defining the course) is the easy part! (And we all know it is not that easy or we would do more of it and do it better!) The hard part is actually doing what we say we will. Let’s assume for [...]
