Author Archives: Holly G Green
This is the second of several ‘Innovation Perspectives’ articles we will publish this week from multiple authors to get different perspectives on ‘How should firms develop the organizational structure, culture, and incentives (e.g., for teams) to encourage successful innovation?’. Here is the next perspective in the series:by Holly G. GreenExcellence only happens in context. Think about the last time you had a cruddy boss or your client forgot to give you information on something you were working on. Did you produce or deliver as well as you could have? Of course not.A system has to work together. And your current system produces exactly what it is set up to produce. So if you want to be more innovative, you have to think about and address the whole system. Just addressing one piece of it will not serve you well. In our work with organizations, we believe it is critical to … Continue reading
Those who follow my blog or have heard me speak to business groups and conventions know that I constantly talk about the dangers of MSU, or making stuff up.Making stuff up occurs when we listen to the thought bubbles inside our heads that tell us the world must be a certain way; when we fill in the voids of information with our own interpretation or beliefs. We get into trouble when we make decisions or take action without testing to see whether the assumptions underlying our thought bubbles are actually true. Or when we forget to pause every now and then to question the thought bubbles that we have had for awhile.Thought bubbles come in all shapes and sizes, and contain all sorts of half-truths and misinformation. Here are two that frequently wreak havoc with efforts to implement a strategic plan.Killer thought bubble #1: “Once the strategic plan gets written, … Continue reading
In today’s world, innovation is a business imperative. You either find new and better ways to add value to your customers, you play follow the leader with those who do, or you go out of business as others change the game and you lose.Most business leaders intuitively know this. Which is why more and more are making sincere efforts to encourage innovation in their companies. Unfortunately, these efforts rarely produce the desired results.According to a recent Forbes article, “Why The Pursuit Of Innovation Usually Fails,” when it comes to business innovation, failure is the norm rather than the exception. Most “innovations” are little more than thinly disguised reformulations of existing products or services.What’s behind our systemic inability to innovate?It’s not a lack of creative ideas. People and companies come up with these in abundance. Instead, Forbes attributes the dismal results to how we go about trying to innovate.Today’s business leaders … Continue reading
The New Leadership Imperativeby Holly G. GreenPeople ask me all the time what I consider to be the biggest challenge facing today’s business leaders.I don’t even hesitate on this one. It’s the automatic assumption by most business leaders that we still live in a fairly predictable world.Think about it. Six months ago, who would have thought that Toyota would be in the position it is today?Here we have one of the largest, most successful, most respected companies in the world. And now it faces a crisis that is not just destroying its hard-earned reputation, but could well put it out of business.That’s unthinkable! And yet it’s happening right before our eyes.Sales of Toyotas are plummeting. The U.S. government is launching a full-scale investigation into the company’s business practices. And a tidal wave of lawsuits around the faulty floor mat/throttle issue is about to be unleashed.If Toyota is found to be … Continue reading
I love the Olympics. I am fascinated by curling (although like most of you I can’t quite figure out the rules). I love the thrill of the downhill, the luge, the speed skating, hockey, and the snowboarding events. And I am especially enthralled when I watch the Olympic athletes visibly get clear on winning.Did you notice Lindsey Vonn at the top of the slope? Eyes closed, arms moving, legs bending as if she were already traveling down the slope in just the manner necessary to win? She was using a practice known as ‘success visioning’. She was imagining the course, every twist, every turn… and how she would successfully meet the challenge of it and win the race. Olympic athletes have used success visioning for decades; since the time Roger Bannister broke the world record for running the mile in less than 4 minutes in 1954.Premier athletes the world over … Continue reading
Strategic planning methodologies are like shoes – one size does not fit all.Some companies use a top-down, autocratic approach, where the plan gets created by a small group of senior managers and handed down to the rest of the organization. Some prefer a more democratic approach, with employees at all levels contributing their ideas and input to the plan. Most companies employ a hybrid of these two models.The best approach for your company depends on several factors, such as size, industry, culture, type of workforce and management style. Regardless of which approach you choose, however, every strategic plan needs five key elements in order to achieve the intended results.Mission. This defines why you exist as an organization. Specifically, it tells others (not just those in the organization) why you exist. Ideally, it describes some noble purpose that is both inspirational and aspirational, so that it instills pride in all those … Continue reading
