Business Strategy Archives - Page 20 of 22

16 Aug 2006

Business Planning for Recession

Business Strategy Economy

The last Businomics newsletter had a checklist for business planning for recession. Here it is: Assess your vulnerability to recession Sketch out contingency plans Develop an early warning system Build flexibility into the business to …

8 Aug 2006

More on Great Speaking

Business Strategy

After my recent post about CEOs as speakers, I came across a description of a great speech in Guy Kawasaki’s blog (which is very good). Kawasaki is a VC, a former Apple Fellow, and a …

4 Aug 2006

CEOs as Speakers

Business Strategy

For those executives who have to make speeches (which is all of you), take a look at "The Five Biggest Mistakes CEO’s Make in Speaking," on Bert Decker’s communications blog. I might quarrel a tad …

31 Jul 2006

Great Blog Tool

Business Strategy

I sometimes post comments on other people’s blogs, then forget whose blog I’ve commented on, and on what topic. It would be nice to be able to go back and see if anyone is replying …

27 Jul 2006

Maximizing, Not Just Growing, Profit

Business Strategy

Most businesses try to grow profits, but a very few really try to maximize profits. That’s hard for me to accept, after having taught students that businesses maximize profits. But truly, most companies never try …

25 Jul 2006

Do Your Employees Talk About Corporate Greed?

Business Strategy

Imagine a flight attendant telling a passenger that cramped seating and lack of meals is due to corporate greed. If a person in the airline industry, with its record of red ink and bankruptcies, can …

24 Jul 2006

‘Career Path’ Programs Help Retain Workers

Business Strategy

Employee retention is critically important in today’s tight labor market. The Wall Street Journal has a good article the use of career paths to help retain workers. (Subscription required; article is here.) The idea is …

16 Jul 2006

Retain Your Brains

Business Strategy

That’s the title of a great article in Fortune Magazine (July 24, 2006, p. 49). Employee retention is a key issue for businesses, both in the short-run with tight labor markets, and in the long-run …

27 Jun 2006

Are There No Demon Customers?

Business Strategy

A few years back, a book pronounced that there were angel customers and demon customers. The angels are profitable, and the demons are unprofitable. If the demons cannot be made profitable, they need to be …

23 Jun 2006

Leaders

Business Strategy

"Leaders see the future and describe it in such a compelling way that I change my behavior today." (I’m not sure who first put it exactly this way; I heard it from consultant De Hicks, …

14 Jun 2006

Call Centers = Profit Centers?

Business Strategy

A couple of months ago I asked "Can customer service become a profit center?" Now McKinsey & Company have considered the same question. (Are they reading this blog?) They find that call centers can, in …

9 Jun 2006

Productivity Improvement Spreading

Business Strategy Economy

In the 1990s, productivity (output per work hour) growth was concentrated in just a few industries. We know that high tech companies substantially gained in productivity, including semiconductor manufacturers and computer assemblers. Surprisingly, the rest …