Core Values That Go A Long Way
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Running a Business in Good Times And Bad:
The key to good business is "the Four Ps" people, products, partners, and processes - how we apply these universal principles can reenergise employees, customers, and even you.
Do you focus on what is core: honour customers, trust employees, build passion around a product?
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Insight and Theory:
The ability to see clearly and intuitively into the nature of a complex situation is a mixture of Theory on one hand and hard won experience on the other. Using well founded theories we can leverage your experience and gain real insights to the complex situations you face in business.
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Principles of the Wheel:
Why reinvent the wheel. Seek and review best practice in your industry. Unless the process is patented or copyright use that which has been well tried and tested. Winning competitive advantage by adding value by identifying your company’s skill set(s).
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Kaizen and Incremental Innovation:
The goal of kaizen includes the elimination of waste, however a closer definition of the Japanese usage of Kaizen is of constant improvement and ‘to take it apart and put back together in a better way.’ Can you identify what needs to be taken apart in your organisation - a process, a system, a product, or a service?
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People and Problems:
Is it always the person or could it be the process? Do you double check the logic of your processes regularly. Do you review with your staff and take cognisance of the latest innovations as well as best practice?
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Established Business:
Can you afford not to take time to rebuild your organisation from the ground up? Do you seek to optimise each process and the interfacing processes? Do you simplify not just from a management point of view, but from your customers point of view?
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Pundits:
Every situation has its observing pundits (staff, friends and advisors). Can you take on board meaningful observations and use them to add to your experience base in order to gain more insight?
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Cause and Effect:
In business the cause and effect ‘relationship’ is not always clear, neither is the cause or the effect. Coincidence can play a role and thereby deliver some strange outcomes. What cross checks and balances can you use to to judge results?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Productivity:
According to economists; quality and productivity above and beyond that of your competitors are essentials for the route to producing super normal profits. Can you identify how you can achieve one or both of these objectives?
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Principles of Results:
It is hard to get people to think in terms of results (objectives) rather than the functions of their job; however, it can be done. No matter what steps you use, the final results are what count. Can you manage by objectives?
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Oncoming Train:
The art of looking around corners helps you to spot early-warning signals and spot opportunities and threats early before they escalate into competitive problems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Know Where You Are:
What regular mechanisms have you in place to review you market position and the market around you?
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Diminishing returns:
Economic theory says that, in a production system with fixed and variable inputs (say operation size and labour), beyond some point, each additional unit of variable input yields less and less additional return. Have you applied this theory to your company, and if so how can you maximise your output?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KPI Measurement:
You get what you measure. So it is important to measure the right thing. Focusing only on a metric(s) will diminish returns over time. Do you constantly review your KPIs (key performance indicators). Are your KPIs compatible with your business?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Business Ethics:
Striking a good balance ‘between integrity and sensibility’ delivers to the bottom line. Have you made it easier for your stakeholders to understand what your company stands for?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rival Strategies:
Have you established strategies to manage your rivals. Can you analyse the model both qualitatively and quantitatively, and evaluate a series of novel and interesting strategies to deal with your rivals?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rival Watching:
Do you know when and why bench-marking and rival watching can be dangerous? Could you evaluate your company without reviewing the competition? Is your rival an ally in disguise?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conspicuous Profits
When firms' are making economic profits they will induce new firms to enter the market and as a result these economic profits will gradually disappear. How can you go about protecting these profits and thereby ensuring your ongoing success?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changing the Game
Leading corporations switch from defence to offence or from compliance to non compliance with accepted rules thereby increasing advantage. Can you identify opportunities to change the game you play to one more favourable to your organisation?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leadership:
There are seven well proven leadership traits. Have you laws that you lead by? Could you improve your leadership traits?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clash of Marketing and Sales:
Combined sales and marketing roles are not uncommon. But which works best for you? When can you allow the sales team to dream up its ‘ideal product’ to sell? Is there a real need to align sales with marketing and if so how?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales and Marketing Support
Getting your sales and marketing right is crucial for a successful business. No matter how good your business idea, it will only succeed if your sales and marketing can support it. Could you do with some advice on establishing successful sales and marketing methods and policies - from pricing and advertising to press releases and sales techniques.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principles of Retention:
What are the secrets to retaining the people you want and helping the people you don’t want find their real career? Do you have a company wide rule book for retaining talent?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Running a Business in Good Times And Bad:
The key to good business is "the Four Ps" people, products, partners, and processes - how we apply these universal principles can reenergise employees, customers, and even you.
Do you focus on what is core: honour customers, trust employees, build passion around a product?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insight and Theory:
The ability to see clearly and intuitively into the nature of a complex situation is a mixture of Theory on one hand and hard won experience on the other. Using well founded theories we can leverage your experience and gain real insights to the complex situations you face in business.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principles of the Wheel:
Why reinvent the wheel. Seek and review best practice in your industry. Unless the process is patented or copyright use that which has been well tried and tested. Winning competitive advantage by adding value by identifying your company’s skill set(s).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaizen and Incremental Innovation:
The goal of kaizen includes the elimination of waste, however a closer definition of the Japanese usage of Kaizen is of constant improvement and ‘to take it apart and put back together in a better way.’ Can you identify what needs to be taken apart in your organisation - a process, a system, a product, or a service?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
People and Problems:
Is it always the person or could it be the process? Do you double check the logic of your processes regularly. Do you review with your staff and take cognisance of the latest innovations as well as best practice?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Established Business:
Can you afford not to take time to rebuild your organisation from the ground up? Do you seek to optimise each process and the interfacing processes? Do you simplify not just from a management point of view, but from your customers point of view?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pundits:
Every situation has its observing pundits (staff, friends and advisors). Can you take on board meaningful observations and use them to add to your experience base in order to gain more insight?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cause and Effect:
In business the cause and effect ‘relationship’ is not always clear, neither is the cause or the effect. Coincidence can play a role and thereby deliver some strange outcomes. What cross checks and balances can you use to to judge results?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Productivity:
According to economists; quality and productivity above and beyond that of your competitors are essentials for the route to producing super normal profits. Can you identify how you can achieve one or both of these objectives?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principles of Results:
It is hard to get people to think in terms of results (objectives) rather than the functions of their job; however, it can be done. No matter what steps you use, the final results are what count. Can you manage by objectives?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oncoming Train:
The art of looking around corners helps you to spot early-warning signals and spot opportunities and threats early before they escalate into competitive problems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Know Where You Are:
What regular mechanisms have you in place to review you market position and the market around you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diminishing returns:
Economic theory says that, in a production system with fixed and variable inputs (say operation size and labour), beyond some point, each additional unit of variable input yields less and less additional return. Have you applied this theory to your company, and if so how can you maximise your output?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KPI Measurement:
You get what you measure. So it is important to measure the right thing. Focusing only on a metric(s) will diminish returns over time. Do you constantly review your KPIs (key performance indicators). Are your KPIs compatible with your business?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Business Ethics:
Striking a good balance ‘between integrity and sensibility’ delivers to the bottom line. Have you made it easier for your stakeholders to understand what your company stands for?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rival Strategies:
Have you established strategies to manage your rivals. Can you analyse the model both qualitatively and quantitatively, and evaluate a series of novel and interesting strategies to deal with your rivals?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rival Watching:
Do you know when and why bench-marking and rival watching can be dangerous? Could you evaluate your company without reviewing the competition? Is your rival an ally in disguise?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conspicuous Profits
When firms' are making economic profits they will induce new firms to enter the market and as a result these economic profits will gradually disappear. How can you go about protecting these profits and thereby ensuring your ongoing success?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changing the Game
Leading corporations switch from defence to offence or from compliance to non compliance with accepted rules thereby increasing advantage. Can you identify opportunities to change the game you play to one more favourable to your organisation?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leadership:
There are seven well proven leadership traits. Have you laws that you lead by? Could you improve your leadership traits?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clash of Marketing and Sales:
Combined sales and marketing roles are not uncommon. But which works best for you? When can you allow the sales team to dream up its ‘ideal product’ to sell? Is there a real need to align sales with marketing and if so how?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales and Marketing Support
Getting your sales and marketing right is crucial for a successful business. No matter how good your business idea, it will only succeed if your sales and marketing can support it. Could you do with some advice on establishing successful sales and marketing methods and policies - from pricing and advertising to press releases and sales techniques.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principles of Retention:
What are the secrets to retaining the people you want and helping the people you don’t want find their real career? Do you have a company wide rule book for retaining talent?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
