Your SWOT Analysis should be updated every quarter to ensure it is an accurate reflection of your current operating environment. The pace of change is increasing and you need to k..
As mentioned in SWOT Analysis – part 1 (http://us.results.com/announcements/swot-part-1), you need to start with a clear strategy, before you even look at doing a SWOT Ana..
Early in my business career, (prior to joining RESULTS.com) I had the experience of having external consultants come into my firm to do “strategic planning” with us ..
"If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete" - Jack Welch The pace of change is such that many industries are being transformed seemingly overnight, a..
Define what “done” looks like. As part of the quarterly strategic planning process, we see too many companies choosing projects to improve their business withou..
Stanford university professor, Robert Sutton has written a number of very insightful business books which present evidence to expose many of the commonly held management practic..
One of the critical roles of a leader is to communicate a clear and compelling vision of the future. Your vision comprises the following 3 key elements: Core Value..
Many modern management books write dismissively of the so-called “command and control” style of leadership (except of course when Steve Jobs was doing the commanding), ..
A study commissioned by Cisco, interviewed 2800 young professionals aged between 20-30 years old in 14 countries. The purpose was to understand the needs of future employees an..
Many of us acquire our dominant learning habits through our experiences as students. However, those experiences we had in the classroom do not mean that this is the best way to..
Here is the second in a 2 part series of common decision-making pitfalls that can trick our minds into making irrational decisions - derived from an article in Litemind (h..
Here is the first in a 2 part series of common decision-making pitfalls that can trick our minds into making irrational decisions - derived from an article in Litemind (h..
As you know, we recommend that your strategy be reviewed and updated on a quarterly basis. Of course, that assumes you went through a disciplined thought process have a real st..
Most management writers these days encourage leaders to be more participative and collaborative in their decision making. Gone are the days of the top-down, hierarchical organizati..
At the beginning of every quarter we work with our clients to review their business execution progress. We ask questions like: Did we achieve our goals for last quarter? ..
Many companies think they have a strategy, but usually all they have done is a meaningless exercise in financial goal setting. Goal setting is important - but setting numerical..
As any good shooter knows, if you want to hit the target consistently you need to aim for the bull’s-eye every time. If you take the wider view and aim at the whole target..
That’s right - everybody lies. In fact, if you never lied, you would find it very hard to function in society. Of course, I am talking about “white lies” - t..
Many of us spend more time at work than we do with our families. Even when we are at home, we’re often thinking about work issues, or working remotely using technology. ..
Creative thinking, innovative solutions, new products and services, even completely new business models - one of the keys to continued success in business is a flow of good idea..
Great leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about figuring out and discussing the right questions. Leadership skills can be learned – but it usually ..
After examining 12,000 daily diary entries from workers in a survey, the authors of the book “The Progress Principle (http://results.com/book-summaries/the-progress-principle..
Before interviewing a candidate for any role in your company, it is vital that you follow the previously described “Hiring A-Players” process in full. You take shortcu..
Where do you learn how to hire people effectively? Unfortunately, they don't teach you how to hire effectively in business schools. According to the authors of Topgrading (..
Without a doubt, the most stressful times in my management career have involved dealing with poor performing employees. What follows is an approach to help you turn things arou..
If you are anything like me, life seems to be getting busier and busier, and the rate of change means you feel like you are running faster and faster just to keep up. The a..
The evidence suggests that the personalities of truly great salespeople plays a critical role in determining their success. A blog recent blog (http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/..
Let us imagine that you have just updated your strategic plan at the end of the quarter, and are about to dive into your next 90 day sprint with clear strategic priorities to be..
“Studies show that companies that rate high in transparency tend to outperform more opaque ones” according to Warren Bennis, business professor and co-author of Tran..
Fortune magazine recently published an article on five lessons we can learn from IBM as they celebrate the milestone of being in business for 100 years (http://tech.fortune.cnn...
New York Times columnist Adam Bryant has spent many years interviewing the world’s top business leaders. His book “The Corner Office” captures the common them..
A study published by HBR (http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/11-078.pdf) looked at the impact of management feedback on employee productivity. Here is our take: The study ..
A study published by Wharton University (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2783) shows that leaders need to pay closer attention to getting the right midd..
RESULTS.com defines an “A” Player as a person who consistently exceeds the performance standards required for their role; and who simultaneously demonstrates all you..
The number of software tools we have for communication and collaboration is expanding all the time - but the trusty old email is going to be with us for a while yet. In 2..
Industry Week recently posted an article about some of the common traps that leaders fall into. This inspired us to write our take on this topic - adding more depth to some of ..
In a previous growth tip we spoke about “open door” management policies (http://us.results.com/announcements/open-door-vs-closed-door-policy) and the phenomena known..
It’s almost a cliché in business. Managers saying, “I have an open door policy.” But what does this really mean and what are the implications of this?..
When setting due dates for goal achievement, and for the completion of milestones within your chosen strategic projects, it is important to guard against common pitfalls. ..
What are the reasons that some people (and companies) reach their goals, while others never seem to fulfill their potential? Playing to your natural strengths and talents i..
As each new quarter begins, it is important that you use a disciplined strategic thinking and decision making process to choose your targets and key strategic priorities for the..
We have written several times that strategic planning should be an ongoing process - not an annual event. Effective companies have the discipline to stop and debrief thei..
Strategy execution remains a major challenge for business leaders. Most companies struggle to create a winning strategy and then execute it effectively. In a 2010 Harvard ..
Companies who are highly effective at strategic execution follow a disciplined hiring methodology. This ensures you only hire “A” Players for every role in your com..
Looking back over my management career, the worst experiences were without a doubt, having to deal with poorly performing or badly behaving staff members. I remember the stress..
While there’s much about leadership that remains constant over time, there are profound changes occurring in many industries, and the pace of change is only increasing. ..
Weekly team meetings are vital to share information, make decisions, and align your team to strategy execution – but the subtleties of each individual’s personal nee..
Ideally, we proactively contact our customers to assess their level of satisfaction (or better yet their level of advocacy) with our service and take action to resolve any issue..
We strongly recommend that business leaders follow a disciplined strategic thinking process, a disciplined strategic decision making process, and a disciplined execution process..
Business leaders tend to be incredibly busy individuals. “Busyness” should never be confused with effectiveness however. We need to switch from being busy, to achi..
The majority of managers in all industries believe that their companies lack a coherent strategy. They struggle to set a clear and differentiating strategy, struggle to e..
The OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) was a concept originally applied to fighter pilots, developed by Colonel John Boyd of the USAF. OODA has since become an important ..
"If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete" - Jack Welch The pace of change is such that many industries are being transformed seemingly overnight, and in ma..
Certainly, every leader should try to do both. Yet, given that you have limited time, attention, and resources, an interesting question is: which should take priority? A growin..
According to the Harvard Business Review, "The No.1 criteria for advancement and promotion for professionals is an ability to communicate effectively." Author John C. Maxw..
The number of business leaders around the world who subscribe to these business growth tips has grown to exceed 25,000 now. Thank you for reading and sharing! This week&r..
There is a chronic disconnect in companies between strategy formulation and strategy execution. The goals companies set for themselves often bear little resemblance to the resu..
A survey of over 10,000 firms in over 20 countries, found 3 key success practices associated with top performing companies that every good manager should strive to follow. The..
According to some experts, leaders can't really motivate employees - but they can create an environment whereby the employee motivates themselves. Assuming you have an eff..
The old obsession with wealth and fame – with winning and losing – is being replaced with a desire for purpose and contribution. Enlightened businesses, and the peo..
Unfortunately, most new managers are left to sink or swim when they get promoted into a leadership role. The data is revealing, 40% of new executives don’t last 18 months..
Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks was interviewed in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/business/10corner.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1). Here is our take on..
What are the key ingredients that provide successful growth companies with long-term sustainable advantages? Research in the book Ruthless Focus (http://results.com/book-s..
Most companies try to set clear numerical targets (goals). However, they seldom do a good job of measuring progress toward them. Unfortunately, very few companies are goo..
Studies on motivation have identified reasons why much of the feedback managers give to their employees isn’t very motivating or constructive. Here are some tips to d..
Peter Drucker shared a wealth of timeless advice for CEO’s. Here is a small summary of his wisdom. Clear focus. Leaders must clearly communicate the strategic pr..
Cadence is the rhythm that brings your strategic planning and business execution together Picture a rowing crew in the Olympic finals with the coxswain calling out the temp..
Accountability is one of the major pillars (http://results.com/announcements/the-5-key-pillars-of-execution) of effective business execution. It’s not about your people w..
One of the crucial roles of a leader is to clearly communicate your vision (http://results.com/AnnouncementRetrieve.aspx?ID=37127) and strategy (http://results.com/AnnouncementR..
Research from the Harvard business school shows that 90% of strategies fail due to poor execution. This assumes your company even has a real strategy. Many companies think the..
If you want to be really effective at setting and executing strategy – it is time to implement a disciplined execution methodology into your business. Yes - that scary wo..
As a leader, it is easy to get stuck in our office and isolated from the realities of the workplace. We need to “escape from management land” and find out what is ..
In the book, The Power of Full Engagement (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Full-Engagement-Managing-Performance/dp/0743226747), studies show that our bodies operate on 90 minute cycles..
This growth tip features lessons from the book “Chaotics (http://www.amazon.com/Chaotics-Business-Managing-Marketing-Turbulence/dp/0814415210)” by Philip Kotler and Joh..
Here is the second in a 2 part series of common decision-making pitfalls that can trick our minds into making irrational decisions - derived from an article in Litemind (htt..
Here is the first in a 2 part series of common decision-making pitfalls that can trick our minds into making irrational decisions - derived from an article in Litemind (http://l..
One of the biggest challenges for managers is holding people accountable for execution. It starts by giving your people clear expectations – a role scorecard. What are..
Here are some key success habits you can incorporate in your business to help drive accountability for strategic execution. Establish the top 3 Company 90 Day Action Priori..
As the end of a quarter approaches, effective companies book a meeting to review and debrief the results of their strategic execution over the last 90 days. Strategic pla..
MBA trained managers know about planning, but they know very little about how to execute a plan - according to the book “Making Strategy Work: Leading Effective Execution ..
A four year study of over 20,000 leaders documented in the book The Inspiring Leader (http://www.amazon.com/Inspiring-Leader-Unlocking-Extraordinary-Motivate/dp/0071621245) - s..
Jack Daly – arguably the world’s leading sales trainer - enthralled RESULTS.com clients in New Zealand in 2009 – so much so that our NZ team have invited h..
A study published by the Harvard Business Review (http://www.portfolio.com/business-news/2010/05/19/harvard-publishes-study-that-shows-treating-workers-well-boosts-bottom-line) ..
Strategic planning is difficult to do (and we seldom see it done well). But executing strategy is even more difficult. Here are some of the challenges managers must overcome &..
This growth tip was inspired by an article in Fast Company (http://www.fastcompany.com/article/seven-keys-to-building-customer-loyalty-and-company-profits?page=0%2C0) magazin..
Research shows that top business leaders have higher levels of Emotional Intelligence than average leaders. Emotional Intelligence ("EQ") means you understand the emotions..
Andrew Cosslett, CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group was interviewed by The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/business/04corner.html?pagewanted=1) recently. He..
FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT In this article published in The Economist (http://viewswire.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=EBArticleVW3&article_id=877040872&am..
Research from the Hay Group is used to rate Fortune Magazine’s “most admired companies (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2010/index.html)” &n..
How do you achieve business success whilst making quality time for your personal life? The higher you climb; it seems the greater the sacrifices you need to make. Many high ac..
Being in business is like climbing a mountain. The tough economic times of the last couple of years, has just made your climb steeper and the weather more hazardous. H..
Guy Kawasaki (http://www.guykawasaki.com/) - well known author, venture capitalist and entrepreneur - loves Twitter (http://twitter.com/) because he says it democratizes marketing...
One of the key ingredients for a happy and successful life is to experience the state of “flow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29)” as frequently as we..
Tachi Yamada the President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/g/gates_bill_and_melinda_foundation/inde..
According to the results of a study by workplace psychologists OPP (http://www.opp.eu.com/Pages/home.aspx): 39% of leaders said they still rely on gut instinct when making ..
A brilliant strategy may put you on the competitive map, but only solid execution will keep you there. Research published in HBR (http://custom.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/e..
Social Media means you need to get your act together. With social media your customers now have the means to tell the world about their experience of doing business with y..
Many business leaders complain about a “lack of accountability” in their company. Indeed, accountability is one of the major pillars of effective business execu..
A common management failure is to spend most of your time trying to improve the performance of the stragglers in your team. Instead, you should spend most of your time growing ..
Many people set New Year’s resolutions. 60% of them fail by late January as they slip back into their familiar habits (the average date of failure is January 22). ..
Good news for managers. A multi-year study documented in the Harvard Business Review (http://hbr.org/2010/01/the-hbr-list-breakthrough-ideas-for-2010/ar/1) shows that the ke..
Michael Hill did not become an entrepreneur until he was 40 years of age when he opened his first jewelry store in 1979. He now owns more than 250 Michael Hill (http://www.mich..
Research in the UK by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS (http://www.berr.gov.uk/)), shows that employers are still failing to communicate their bu..
Rapid changes in the competitive forces that shape industries are forcing business leaders to deal with more complexity than ever before - and they are being forced to make toug..
Salesforce.com (http://www.salesforce.com/) CEO Marc Benioff was interviewed in BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/nov2009/sb2009112_279472.htm?chan=..
I spent an enjoyable afternoon recently speaking with author John Spence about the key business success fundamentals which apply to firms of all sizes - from our fast growth ent..
According to a Watson Wyatt study (http://www.watsonwyatt.com/commroi/), companies that communicate effectively had a 47% higher return to shareholders over a five-year per..
One of the critical roles of a leader is to communicate a clear and compelling vision of the future. Your vision comprises the following 3 key elements. Core Values..
With all the talk about websites, blogs, email newsletters, and social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc) it is easy to forget that these are just communication tool..
In this article written for the Executive Briefing section of The Economist, Stephen Lynch, Chief Operating Officer at business execution consultancy RESULTS.com, argues that havin..
Would it bother you to find out that 80% of your staff is betting against your success? A recent article in BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content..
Social media has given customers the tools to demand more honest and direct relationships with companies – forging a new era in business transparency and customer engagem..
Many companies are trying to do more work with fewer people - and it can take a toll in terms of increased stress levels, health problems, deteriorating relationships, and weake..
Great leaders have teams of great followers to support them. At some point we all have to be followers. If you want to be great, here are some suggestions inspired by a blog p..
Alan Mullaly the CEO of Ford was interviewed in the New York Times in September 2009. Here’s a summary. Connect with the outside world The more senior your management ..
Learn from your mistakes With the current success of the iPod, iPhone and iTunes – and with so many raving Apple brand advocates it’s easy to forget the many product fa..
If you want loyal followers you need to earn their trust first. Here are some simple (but not always easy) actions you can take – inspired by a blog post in Random acts of l..
Source: Professor Gary Marcus of New York University Consider both costs and benefits Our minds tend to consider either costs or benefits only. Taking both perspectives into ac..
Bob Eckert, CEO of Mattel, was interviewed in Fortune Magazine in August 2009. Here’s a summary: Try starting from scratch Be open to starting over - instead of building o..
Are you Linked in? LinkedIn is the premier social networking site for “business leaders”, with more than 40 million users worldwide. Currently, the average user i..
Source: Professor Gary Marcus (http://www.psych.nyu.edu/gary/marcus_bio.html) of New York University. Force yourself to consider alternatives Our brains are not good a..
Source: Professor Gary Marcus of New York University. Force yourself to consider alternatives Our brains are not good at making rational decisions unless we generate a range of ..
John Donahoe, CEO of eBay was interviewed in the New York Times recently. Here is a summary: The most important lesson You can’t change people. Make sure you get them int..
At some point you will have to deal with an upset customer. Your challenge is to handle the situation in a way that leaves the customer thinking you are a great company to deal w..
Your job is to grow sales – not do sales Entrepreneurs are often too involved in deal making and selling. A sales leader’s job (and if you’re the owner of t..
New research from Wharton "Discovering 'WOW' - A Study of Great Retail Shopping Experiences in North America" identified the top 5 factors (in order) that drive great customer expe..
In our minds, The Economist is the premier global newsmagazine. Published since 1843, The Economist targets a highly-educated readership, comprising influential busi..
A survey entitled the Customer Experience Impact Report was released early in 2009. The survey measured how customers engage with companies - and how both negative and p..
How many contacts do your salespeople make with prospective customers? Jack Daly (http://www.jackdaly.net/)presents eye-opening research: 48% of salespeople never fol..
Self confidence is a key factor in leadership success. How can future leaders learn to demonstrate more of this? Here are seven suggestions from Marshall Goldsmith with our a..
Business Author, Entrepreneur, and Venture Capitalist, Guy Kawasaki (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2258)recently shared his 10 point manifesto for bu..
Sebastian Coe won the 1500m gold medal at two consecutive Olympic Games, and now as a business leader, is the chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Games. What follows is a summ..
This Growth tip was inspired by the book “Ready, Blame, Fire!” by Ira Blumenthal, a branding expert who has worked with Coca-Cola, Adidas, Nestlé, McDonald&r..
As you would expect, we read hundreds of business books to keep our knowledge at the forefront of global, best business practice, and to support our clients to achieve extraordinar..
Whether your professional networking involves face to face meetings or (increasingly) the use of social media tools (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc) - remember the following n..
In our minds, The Economist is the premier global newsmagazine. Published since 1843, The Economist targets a highly-educated readership, comprising influential business lead..
This our summary of a blog that appeared in the Financial Times (http://blogs.ft.com/donsullblog/2009/04/29/the-top-five-opportunities-in-a-downturn/)on April 29. In a dow..
Peter Drucker (http://www.my.results.com/Books)said, “If you cannot manage yourself for effectiveness, you cannot expect to manage others” Studies (http://inte..
Taking no action is the greatest risk in an economic crisis, but taking rash or disorganized actions can be nearly as damaging - according to the Feb 09 issue of Harvard Busine..
Pavlov was onto something with his dogs. Recognition is the bell that drives human behavior. “Thank you” - is a universal concept with an underlying definition that mean..
Bob Parsons the 59 year old founder of GoDaddy.com - the world's number one website domain registration firm, shared his rules for success in business and life. Here’s a..
General Electric (http://www.ge.com/)CEO, Jeff Immelt was interviewed a while back in Fast Company (http://www.fastcompany.com/)magazine. He provided his personal checkli..
Jim Collins (http://www.jimcollins.com/), the best-selling author of the books “Built to Last (http://my.results.com/Books)” and “Good to Great (http://my.results.com/Books)” w..
According to research in the book “First Break All the Rules (http://my.results.com/Books)” – by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, there is a difference bet..
Seth Godin (http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/)has authored more than 10 books on marketing (http://my.results.com/Books#Marketing), all of which we recommend to our clients. H..
RESULTS.com had the privilege of inviting Tom Peters (http://www.tompeters.com/), the “uber guru of management” to spend a day with our New Zealand clients last mon..
This quote came from Peter Drucker (http://my.results.com/Books)who also asserted, “Most businesses try to accomplish far too much. They lose concentration and give in t..
Two thought leaders we often refer our clients to in the field of marketing and branding, are Al Ries and Jack Trout and their classic book, “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing..
Here is our summary of the article "What can coaches do for you?" which appeared in the Harvard Business Review (http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/)- January 09: “Toda..
Not clearly identifying your ideal target market customer and researching their needs first. (As Seth Godin says in his book Purple Cow (http://my.results.com/Books), “A p..
"Easy times are the enemy, they put us to sleep. Adversity is our friend, it wakes us up." (The Dalai Lama) Making staff redundant is not something any business leader lo..
Derived from an article appearing in Fortune Magazine (http://bit.ly/187ou)Jan 2009: Confront the new reality. In good times, growth can cover up a lot of mistakes...
Many business leaders find it difficult to chase one rabbit. They delude themselves into thinking they can ‘multi-task’ - and try to achieve many things simultaneo..
"What should I do to become a great investor?" an earnest 17 year old was reported to have asked Warren Buffet – the world’s wealthiest individual - at the Berkshir..
The average human can remember groups of 7 things in their short term memory When people are asked to choose a number between 1 and 10, the most popular choice is 7 - all o..
This newsletter is a summary of a recent article Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford University wrote - "The crisis facing business: Succumbing to the madness of the crowd" ..
Tom Peters and Bob Waterman coined this term in their 1982 book “In Search of Excellence (http://www.fishpond.co.nz/product_info.php?ref=1048&products_id=31452&affiliat..