In 1914 Henry Ford had a great idea – the mass production of automobiles for the masses. But he also knew that he needed highly productive workers – and a lot of them – to make that idea happen. So, he came up with another great idea, in fact something extraordinary and unheard of: pay […]
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Happy Thanksgiving!
On this Thanksgiving I’m thinking about the Vested movement and thanking all those who have brought us here in only seven-plus years, which have flown by breathtakingly fast! It all started with one slim book based on solid research and a great idea—now we are up to six books and counting. Movements are not necessarily easy to […]
Avoid Idea Killer Bingo
No doubt you know about the game of Bingo – it’s great fun to shout Bingo! when you complete a line and win the prize. The Idea Sandbox has devised an instructive take on the Bingo theme called Idea Killer Bingo. It features a Bingo card with many of the killer phrases that squelch innovative ideas and even discussion of […]
Richard Thaler Awarded Nobel Prize for His Contributions to Behavioral Economics
Thaler’s work provides a more realistic understanding of human behavior in economic theory.
Moving the Cheese Smartly
Last week I was in The Netherlands speaking at arvato’s Supply Chain Masterclass. Of course, I couldn’t resist the urge to go to one of Holland’s wonderful cheese shops. But deciding on what to buy often seems overwhelming after you have tasted a dozen samples! My recent visit made me think about the book Who […]
Sharing Knowledge is Power Multiplied
Most everyone would agree with the adage that knowledge is power, but what about sharing that knowledge? Some might argue that in the context of a contract negotiation, for example, knowledge provides a competitive advantage—so why share it? I would argue just the opposite. . Briefly put, sharing knowledge creates a dynamic of transparency, trust […]
Culture, Yes! Based on Lived Values? Yes Again!
Most companies stress the importance of their culture as a key to their success. Are these mere feel good words, or really real? I thought about this as I read about Bobby Herrera, CEO of Populus Group, in a “leader profile” blog post by Patrick Lencioni, founder of The Table Group. Lencioni examined the factors that make the Populus […]
…Then You Win
“First, they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” The quote is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, and I wanted to share it because I believe it is relevant to the Vested business model, and the way negotiations should go in a non-violent/nonconfrontational environment. The “ignore” part is the […]
Chess Masters and CDAs
If you are a self-proclaimed chess junkie you know there’s no such thing as a casual, friendly game of chess – for that try checkers! It can take years of practice and study to become even somewhat proficient at chess. Tournament players are exponentially better than chess players/fans, and Experts are beyond most tournament players. […]
Collaboration and Co-Creation
Collaboration is all the rage. As it should be. But far too many people and organizations can get demoralized when collaboration attempts seem forced or collaboration attempts produce less results than the hyped expectations. Why is this? I believe it is because far too many companies don’t get to real collaboration where co-creation is happening. […]
