We usually divide Planning into three analytical levels with a strong military flavor: Operational, Tactical and Strategic (a clear example of a classical proverb that in the Military everything consists of three parts ). Despite the fact that all these levels are defined pretty clearly (Strategic – where are we going? Tactical – what are […]
What Would You Do to Protect your Business?
This month marks the 70th anniversary of the last major U-boat “wolf pack” battle in the North Atlantic of World War II. Both sides realised the strategic importance of dominating the sea lanes between America and England. The victor on the sea would ultimately win the war. If the English supply lines were cut, they […]
Perform Strategic Management Right with a Balanced Scorecard
It’s (relatively) easy to come up with a corporate vision, with a mission statement, with a set of strategies. But, when it comes to the execution of that vision and strategy, things become much more challenging. This difficulty increases as the size of the organization increases. For proper strategic performance management, a number of methodologies […]
The Business Strategy that Makes Competition Irrelevant, Blue Ocean Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy is growth strategy framework focused on the idea of creating an uncontested market space–i.e. a “blue ocean.” This framework is very innovative, as its principles challenge the conventional business strategy principles of fighting competitors head-on. The Blue Ocean Strategy framework evolved from a framework called Value Innovation developed by Gemini Consulting (now Capgemini […]
The Economics of Consulting – Which Marketing Channels Work Best? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Business Consulting Buzz recently surveyed 10,000 independent consultants, asking them how they market their consulting services. Interesting, insightful questions include: Which marketing channels have made you the most money? What is your annual income? How much do you spend on marketing? What is the average value of a new project? What is the main reason […]
The Next Great Chapter: Life after Retirement of a Senior Leader
I have consulted with people from every aspect of life. I have counseled kids going to college, individuals in life or career transition, moms changing roles from being a mom to being herself. With each of these counseling events, there is always the overarching need to get to the truth–who are you? That quest for […]
Meeting a 3PL Provider for the First Time? Be Prepared
Forming a relationship or partnership with a Third Party Logistics (3PL) company is an important decision. When visiting the 3PL’s facilities for the first time, it is important to come prepared. Be prepared to ask the right questions, cover the right topics, and achieve the right objectives. You are interviewing the company to see if […]
Tips from a Consultant: Some Not-so-Obvious Excel Shortcuts
There are 3 things that separate the struggling Excel monkey from the seasoned one. Keyboard Shortcuts. Knowing your keyboard shortcuts will dramatically accelerate the speed and efficiency of your work. It also makes you look like a real pro when your colleagues see you jump from cell to cell, sheet to sheet without ever touching […]
The 5 Essential Things Today’s Most Successful Business Leaders Carry
LinkedIn recently surveyed 50-plus of today’s most successful business leaders, asking them about essential things they carry. These notable men and women include the likes of Richard Branson, Meg Whitman, and Deepak Chopra. Here are the five essential items that these great businessmen and women always carry as part of their daily routines. 1. Smartphone […]
Tips from a Consultant: Some Not-so-Obvious PowerPoint Shortcuts
Creating PowerPoint slides can be a very time consuming process. When I first started working in consulting, some slides would take me several hours to create. Hundreds of slides later, I can produce the same quality and complexity of slides in a matter of minutes. How do we become much more productive? Partly, it’s just […]
Kaizen and Innovation in the Workplace
When employees leave–especially the good performers–this translates into a higher cost for employers to replace lost staff as well as a loss of talent, knowledge and innovative ideas. One of the things you can do to retain staff is to develop a culture for innovation in the workplace to enhance employee motivation and enthusiasm that […]
First Milestone Achieved for our Free PowerPoint Plugin – 1000 Shares and Counting
A month ago, we released Flevy Tools to our modest list of newsletter subscribers. Flevy Tools is a PowerPoint plugin. It can dynamically create various business diagrams, such as Gantt Charts and Harvey Ball Diagrams. The diagrams are highly customizable. We immediately received great feedback via email, many compare the plugin to ones available at […]
