There is only one boss. The customer.

There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. Sam Walton In the midst of scrambling to keep things as normal as…

Borden Dairy Launch!

It was a real treat last week to be at Borden’s National Rally – Playing to Win – as they rolled out The Borden Difference – their refreshed organizational identity.  It was meaningful to see employees engaged around discussing this…

{White Paper} Nodding the head does not row the boat. Irish Proverb

You’ve seen it.  You’re standing in front of a group of people explaining a new initiative or your company’s strategy.  People are smiling and nodding.  They shake your hand after the meeting and thank you.  But 3 months later, it’s…

Are You Ready for Your Strategic Planning? Part 6- What are your core values?

In a global survey of corporate leaders in 30 countries, 85% of respondents say that their companies “rely on explicit CEO support to reinforce values”.  Are you and your team identifying and providing the support necessary to reinforce the behaviors…

Are You Ready for Your Strategic Planning?: Part 5 – What are your core capabilities?

During our interviews with C-suite leaders for a short series of white papers on strategy we’re preparing, we’ve learned about what successful leaders do and some important principles have been confirmed.  One of those principles is that it’s not enough…

Are You Ready for Your Strategic Planning?: Part 2-Know the difference you make

Peter Drucker said that every organization needs a “definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world.”  Our most recent post included a checklist for knowing your customer.  Knowing the answers to the questions on that checklist…

How very wet the water is

Sometimes it feels right to state the obvious as Scarecrow does after falling into the river in L. Frank Baum’s, The Marvelous Land of Oz.  A friend of mine recently called me out for stating the obvious in our last blog…