We are moving our blog to better reflect the expanded scope of our interests. Businesses looking to the Horizon Line are working for long term performance. They have the right perspective to journey across what is in front of them while preparing for the unseen. Expect the same great insights and service as we make …
Some think of strategic planning as a one time or every 3 years exercise. In my experience, it is most beneficial to think about it as an ongoing process that has a key focus on at least a quarterly cycle. These reviews are your chance to work on the business model as a leadership team. …
I've been a fan of Joe York since first getting introduced to his SaaS Rules of Thumb mathematics a few years ago. Start with SaaS Metrics Rule-of-Thumb #1 and read all 10 rules. It gets a little deep, but be sure to at least come away with the concepts and relationships. These are must knows …
Smart Connected Products are Transforming Competition. So state Porter and Hemplemann in a recent HBR article by that title. And, you don't have to look far to see the changes around you. Last week, I had a chance to test drive a Tesla and I challenge you to come away with any other conclusion. Upgrade …
Continue reading "It’s Time to Make Smart & Connected Part of Your Strategy"
Always interesting and fun to share. Here's Gartner's annual prediction of strategic trends shaping technology over next 4 years. Gartner groups these into three broad trends: The first three trends address merging the physical and virtual worlds and the emergence of the digital mesh. While organizations focus on digital business today, algorithmic business is emerging. …
Continue reading "Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2016"
Agile is a way of approaching business. It is about delivering value in everything. It is about always learning and always doing better. It is about creative problem solving. It is about discovery as you go and drawing on experience. It is about having enough savvy to know that no two problems are quite alike …
I’ve used Balanced Score Card (BSC) and similar approaches for a number of years to organize the elements of and facilitate teams in creating a Strategic Plan. Recently, a CEO suggested he preferred Objectives, goals, strategies and measures (OGSM). No worries, the terms are a little different, but the pieces are similar. I went about …
Enterprises should differentiate between different types of metrics and how they are used. Result, Leading and Diagnostic measures should be combined to ensure they are supporting long-term objectives while focusing on intermediate and daily activities that make a difference. As a quick reference consider the following table for getting the right mix: TypeDefinitionReview FreqExamplesBaseball analogyResultShow …
Continue reading "Different Metric Types Meet Different Needs"
I first wrote about Centers of Excellence about 5 years ago and it remains one of the most popular topics here. This post summarizes and updates thoughts on Centers of Excellence (CoE) as a way to build a capability to deliver value when specialty skills are needed. It covers: The rationale for creation The qualities …
I recently re-read Michael Porter’s excellent article from HBR by this title. His insights remain as relevant today as when they were penned 18 years ago. He explains strategy in a way that supports how I like to challenge customers to think about it. In this article, Porter eloquently address how a company can stake out …
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