Let me say this simply. Complexity is the biggest villain in business. It is a kill or be killed proposition. Complexity is more Loki than Bane. It’s sneaky, shifty, and has different forms. It hides in the cracks of your business, growing more disruptive and indelible with every minute people fail to notice. Complexity kills…
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Great Leaders Think Simply
Those of us who are privileged to be leaders understand how difficult it is to lead people. Not assets, not resources. People. Early in my career, I spent a lot of time thinking about what it meant to be a leader. I talked to more seasoned leaders, I read books on management theory, and –…
Three Ways that Simplicity Pays
Remember ‘keep it simple, stupid‘? Even though it’s been a popular mantra since 1960, simplicity is a hot topic these days. In my previous blog, Is Complex Better than Complicated?, I wrote about two Zen of Python’s 20 design principles: Simple is better than complex. Complex is better than complicated. Ultimately, simple is what we are all…
Is Complex Better Than Complicated?
Unless you have a software background, you’ve probably never heard of longtime Python coder Tim Peters. In Zen of Python, he suggests 20 design principles including: How is “complex” better than “complicated”? After all, their dictionary definitions are similar and they are listed synonyms in the thesaurus: Since I love writing about words and word origins, I decided to dig…
Five Steps to Walking the Customer Experience Talk
Companies want to deliver an incredible customer experience.They also want to turn a profit, increase market share, and engage their employees. If those goals don’t seem surprising, it’s because they shouldn’t be. Forrester’s latest Customer Experience Index report finds companies that outperform their peers in customer experience are likely to turn customers into repeat customers, and repeat customers…
Bring Your Gifts to Work: My Maverick Hangout Experience
Unlocking human potential. It’s a manager’s most important task, but also the hardest to measure and understand. How can leaders empower employees to be free of bureaucracy and top-down management, while maintaining consistency and efficiency across the organization? Gary Hamel, co-founder of the Management Innovation eXchange (MIX), and I discussed these issues and others during…
Extreme Customer Experience: Making the ‘Segment of One’ a Reality
Imagine you’re sitting on your couch on a Friday night and decide that you want ice cream. Since you don’t have any in your freezer, you order a pint using your mobile device. Your personal fitness tracking device notices your glucose level is high, predicts that you are unlikely to work out for the next…
Thinking About Big Data? Go For Big Outcomes Instead
The buzz around big data is deafening but I believe that much of the conversation has missed the point. Big data is not just a technological challenge; it’s a cultural challenge. Collecting and analyzing data is not enough. We need to start with business outcomes to truly leverage big data. Culture trumping technology was the underlying…
I Smell A Rat: Empathy In Business
In collaboration with author Gary Hamel and the Management Innovation Exchange (The MIX), SAP launched a crowd-source initiative which poses the question: What is the one thing you’d change to help organizations unleash and organize human potential across boundaries? As I was researching my own answer around the notion of “empathy in business”, I found a Washington Post article titled: A New Model…
CMOs: May the Force (Multiplier) Be with You
In the military, a force multiplier is a capability that significantly increases the potential of a combat force, enhancing the probability of a successful mission. Many CEOs are looking to marketing to assume the role of force multiplier across their organizations, using customer insights to influence business strategy. It’s an uphill battle. Most large organizations are designed…