Paul V. Weinstein’s recent post on the HBR Blog Network underscores the importance of having a deal “champion” to guide companies to a successful and lasting result. He invokes Greek mythology as an example: Charon, the ferryman who guides souls across the river Styx to the Underworld. Those who do not use his services are forced […]
HBR Blog Network
Open Innovation and Knowing Too Much
There’s a somewhat perverse side to innovation that Andy Zynga has touched upon in a Harvard Business Review blog post. Zynga, CEO of NineSigma International, put it this way: “It is a profound irony that the more you know about a particular industry, and the more experience you gain in it, the more difficult it […]
Innovate Your Innovation Strategy (Part I)
I think of innovation as a big potluck gathering: you know, where everyone brings their favorite—and best—dish. The more scrumptious and imaginative the dishes that are brought to the table, the better and more successful the potluck! It’s the same with innovation. The best and most durable innovations come when everyone attends the party, bringing […]
Innovation Should Include the Business Model
Sometimes even the finest, most modern technology won’t get off the ground—or irrigate it—if it’s not in sync with the business model. That’s the lesson presented in an HBR Blog network post this month by Karan Girotra and Serguei Netessine, “When Business Models Trump Technology.” It’s a story about a new spin on an old […]
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 […]
Haque and Caffeine-fueled Collaboration
Umair Haque, the always engaging and thought-provoking economist, hit the nail squarely this week in his HBR blog on the importance of teamwork, collaboration and achieving synchronicity for business success. He poses this question: “If you were the next Steve Jobs, what problems would you try to solve?” He relates a personal story about his […]
