During the course of my LinkedIn Q&A series on various aspects of Vested, I discussed exactly what I mean when I talk about the Pony, which is a cornerstone of achieving a win-win business relationship that creates and shares value. Briefly, the Pony is the quantified difference in value between today’s current process and the […]
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Nuts Going Nuts over Nuts
Maybe there’s something in the air at 30,000 feet—or even taxiing for takeoff—that sends people over the edge, but this one adds a new dimension to the term “air-rage.” Call it “nut-rage.” According to a BBC News Asia report a Korean Air executive, Heather Cho, was jailed for one year for obstructing aviation after she […]
Conjoined Twins: Opportunity and Risk
I have written about the nature of risk and how taking a risk averse approach to business relationships is common, but not the best path for long term innovative success. I was reminded of this idea once again following my recent appearance on Jon Hansen’s BlogTalkRadio show with Phil Coughlin, who is President Global Geographies and Operations […]
Transforming the Workplace
In a previous post I talked about the importance of aligning company cultures in order to be successful. There’s an equally important cultural corollary: aligning and modernizing the workplace to join the 21st Century. Guy Laurence, former CEO of Vodafone UK Ltd., talked about the “death” of the traditional workplace in a talk he gave […]
Company Culture Really Matters
We often think companies can work around cultural differences with their partners—or prospective partners—in part because they may be overconfident, or in love with everything else about the deal they are negotiating. But that’s almost always a short-sighted mistake, as outlined in a recent article in SupplyChain247, by John D. Hanson and Steven A. Melnyk, […]
Steal This Post!
A recent article on Linkedin’s Pulse raises an issue that many in the arena of ideas and new or emerging business concepts worry about: plagiarism and the concept of “accidental plagiarism.” In “The Biggest Reason We Steal Other People’s Ideas,” Adam Grant writes about kleptomnesia, or “generating an idea that you believe is novel, but in fact was […]
Heading into a Highly Collaborative 2015
When a new year comes around, you know what happens: historians highlight the past, pundits ponder the future, and various lists about the best and worst of the year abound. As I said last year at this time I wonder whether it is all more entertaining patter than productive reflection or context. As we head into 2015 […]
John Ruskin and Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
My friend and colleague Andrew Downard sent along a quote from the 19th century English artist, critic, socialist, and philanthropist John Ruskin in The Common Law of Business Balance that resonates incredibly well with Ailment #1 and the danger of being Penny Wise and Pound Foolish and focusing only on price. The quote attributed to […]
Why is Integrity Important Only after You’re Caught?
In a recent blog I questioned some of the supplier practices of Apple. But I don’t mean to single out any one company—it’s the nature of the business that often questionable supply chain practices don’t surface unless there’s a lawsuit or, in the case of Apple, a bankruptcy filing by a supplier. It seems there […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
On this Thanksgiving I’m thinking about the Vested movement and thanking all those who have brought us here in five short years, starting with one slim book based on solid research and a great idea. Movements are not necessarily easy to foster or even recognize. In my talks and classes I describe Vested as a business model, […]
