Great strategy spontaneously emerges at least as often as it’s deliberately planned. New starts and smart starts are often developed in the spur of the moment when ideas are flying! If your idea of strategic planning relies upon a template with a rigid format, you can easily prevent the innovation produced when everyone on [...]
A singular leadership style doesn’t work anymore. For some, this is welcome news because there are leaders who prefer to share the load of strategic planning. But for many leaders who are used to ‘running the show,’ this change can be a tough adjustment. It requires some self-reflection about the type of leader you [...]
When the economy changes quickly, companies often react in very predictable ways. They make cuts in their operations to lower their expenses, raise their prices, or learn to live with less margin. Although these are in many leaders’ playbooks, we recommend rethinking your present circumstances through our “Growth Model” lens that allows you to [...]
Strong words but true. The number one reason companies fall out of favor with their customers and employees is because they allow their culture only to benefit themselves. Today, it’s easy to spot a winning company from one losing by observing what customers and employees think of the company. The number of “quits” this year [...]
Designing a successful strategy is a very simple three-part construction of Who, What and Why, but it can be incredibly challenging and frustrating! For some, the three parts come together immediately, but it takes months or even years for others. This seemingly simple process is so difficult because it forces you to bring a razor-sharp [...]
I can't thank everyone enough who has contributed and participated in my success at MarketCues for the past 16 years. Clients, associates, investors, service providers, including strategic advisors, creative artisans, and a whole lot of people I’ve met in so many places such as airports, conferences, and let’s not forget webinars! Wow, has there [...]
Talk about an oxymoron! Slow down to grow my company fast? Are you kidding me? I realize this does seem like an off-putting idea, but in reality, it’s how the most successful companies grow. It’s not necessarily about becoming the largest, by the way, because not [...]
A successful business finds a way to be unique and distinctly different in its market. This is often easier said than done, and unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all businesses. The fastest way to build a successful business starts by answering two questions. Answering these two questions for some takes minutes and others years: [...]
Many business leaders are far less optimistic about the future of their business due to Covid-19 and related changes in the marketplace. Polling our clients and those in our network show that a majority of executives think that the current economic conditions will eventually improve, but it will probably take a year or more to [...]
Have you been thinking about how to increase the market share of your organization? Or perhaps you’re experiencing difficulty managing a hybrid workplace with a mix of virtual and on-site employees — all the while evaluating what you can streamline against what must stay in place. These types of issues are expertly and objectively answered [...]