Ok, it sure is nice to have geniuses on hand for your innovation projects and goals, but how often does a genius cross your path? Or work for you? But what’s cool about innovation is that it can come from anywhere and anyone—. I’m sure you’ve heard the old saw about thinking outside the box; […]
Kate Vitasek
Outsource Magazine — March 2016
David Faulkner: the value of a cooperative strategy Column by Kate Vitasek published by Outsource Magazine on 17 March 2016. University of London Professor David Faulkner has written extensively about the need for cooperative, rather than purely competitive, strategic business relationships and alliances. Since the early 1990s Faulkner has studied the “essence” of competitive strategy, and […]
SIG Inside Sourcing Newsletter — March 2016
Use the Right Bidding Tools Article by Kate Vitasek published in the March edition of SIG’s Inside Sourcing newsletter. Each day hundreds – and maybe thousands – of businesses use various competitive bidding methods to pick suppliers, but are they finding the right suppliers for their needs? Maybe not, because it’s likely they are using […]
A Compromise that Sent 150 Strangers to the Beach!
JetBlue recently engaged in a social experiment of sorts aboard one of its aircraft: the result was an interesting lesson in both social dynamics and the value of working together for the best results. As related in an UpWorthy post last month, The 150 passengers on Flight 603, bound for Phoenix from Boston, were asked […]
It’s All Personal!
It’s time to bury that old excuse for bad or questionable behavior in business – you know, the one where the executive “kindly” remarks after stepping all over someone, “It’s not personal, it’s just business.” At the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) conference this week I was sitting in on a session on negotiation […]
Good Relationships are Good Business
What do you want most out of life, or in other words, what will make you happiest? Most people will say wealth, followed closely by fame – but according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, they are mistaken. As the fourth director of the 75-year-old Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies […]
Talking Logistics — 3 February 2016
The Biggest Mistake When Selecting a 3PL Article by Adrian Gonzalez in Talking Logistics on 3 February 2016. He writes: “One of our most popular Talking Logistics episodes of all time is Important Factors to Consider When Evaluating and Selecting a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Partner (6,220 views to date), which we summarized in a follow-up […]
Trust = Profit
Getting trust aligned and embedded in your commercial relationships takes you to that simple equation. Trust = Profit. Why? Trust is the essential ingredient for organizations to feel good about investing in value creation and innovation, which are needed for long-term success. Trust of course is a common thread and theme in all of my Vested books, […]
A New Year’s Wish
I heard a good quote about transparency the other day to the effect that many businesses still think “transparency” is something you put on the overhead projector and write on with a grease pencil. Ok, I may be dating myself a bit with that one but the point is transparent, er, clear: “transparency” is an […]
Check Out These Vested Stocking Stuffers
Holidays filled with the collaborative spirit of Santa, the “jolly old elf,” and his helpers always endure. Are you still looking for the perfect gift or gifts for your business partners? Here’s a great suggestion for all Santas looking for cyber stocking stuffers. And for those who are also looking for bargains—these are all free! I […]
