In what seems like a strange message from a different era, a Harvard Business Review article in 2012 by Reed K. Holden, wrote about the games buyers play with vendors, and the fact that the relationship buyer “has been in steady decline.” Holden, the author of Negotiating with Backbone, contended that the relationship buyer was […]
HBR
HBR IdeaCast — 3 September
The Inherent Failures of Long-Term Contracts — and How to Fix Them HBR IdeaCast interview with Oliver Hart and Kate Vitasek on 3 Sept. 2019. Here is the link: https://hbr.org/ideacast/2019/09/the-inherent-failures-of-long-term-contracts-and-how-to-fix-them.html
Harvard Business Review — Sept.-Oct.
“A new Approach to Contracts,” article by David Frydlinger, Oliver Hart and Kate Vitasek published in the September-October edition of the Harvard Business Review. Here is the link: https://hbr.org/2019/09/a-new-approach-to-contracts
Change the People – or Change the People!
Often when I teach or talk about Vested and its implementation, I say, “Change the people or change the people.” For some that have never worked in a highly collaborative, win-win relationship founded on transparency and trust, it can even be a leap of faith that is difficult to embrace fully. Two Harvard Business School […]
Outsource Magazine — March 2014
Churchman, Rittel and Webber: The “Wicked” Problem Monthly column in Outsource Magazine by Kate Vitasek published 27 March 2014. Also published in OM’s Spring 2014 edition #35. Do you have one of those really tough business problems that seems to plague you? No matter what you try, nothing seems to solve the problem?… Here’s the […]
Teaming and Innovation at GM
Mary Barra took the reins as General Motor’s new CEO last week, bringing the “teaming gene” to one of the more hierarchical and siloed major U.S. corporations. GM has been on my mind since mid-2012, when Randy Mott was installed as the company’s new chief information officer, followed quickly by his decision to move some […]
Getting to a Shared Purpose Partnership
Mark Bonchek, chief catalyst of ORBIT+Co., writes in a post for the HBR Blog Network about the benefits of having a corporate purpose. Many are starting to profess the importance of purpose—for instance Simon Sinek, who has a powerful model for inspirational leadership that starts with with a golden circle and the question, “Why?” (His […]
Mean It When You Measure It
I often teach, talk and write about the 10 Ailments that can disrupt, derail or even destroy an outsource or business relationship—and many of these ailments relate either directly or indirectly to the foibles of measuring performance. A recent post by Paul Michelman on the HBR Blog Network stresses the necessity of getting the metrics […]
Reveal Intentions to Gain Trust
There are a couple of sides to trust and fostering trust, one being management competence—both operationally and politically—and another being character. Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback, authors of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader (HBR Press, 2011), have written about the trust aspects of leadership for the HBR Blog Network. […]
Looking Back to Go Forward
I’ve been thinking lately about the psychology of outsourcing, even more so after reading Art Markman‘s recent article in his Harvard Review blog. In fact, it made me reflect on many other “Big Thinkers” in the field of psychology and how their pioneering work can improve how companies craft and manage outsourcing deals. With that in mind, it’s […]
