The Apple iPhone is a great device and our local AT&T Store service is fine. Too bad that AT&T forget to go the last yard for the customer. There are powerful marketing lessons to be learned by observing how a company executes for customers around a category and competition-killing product.
Leadership should be one of the principal value creation components of the management system, yet poor leadership practices often result in increased complexity, added waste and blocked attempts to streamline processes and make improvements that would otherwise benefit the organization and its customers. One of the key reasons that leaders and leadership practices often fail to create value (or to create more value) is the lack of a common operational and actionable definition for the role of a leader.
Peace on Earth. Good Will Towards All.
The best leaders understand their role in creating the effective working environment, and they understand that part of this is creating the conditions for collaboration to take root and grow. On the other hand, ineffective leaders find ways to stifle collaboration, often through managing by fear and intimidation. Negative tactics might drive momentary compliance, but you cannot mandate creativity at the end of a gun barrel.
Dr. Deming indicated that he hoped one of his life’s accomplishments was to keep American companies from committing suicide. The public spectacle of Detroit and Wall Street committing suicide in the same quarter would indicate that he failed in his mission. Deming’s Theory of Profound Knowledge and 14 points offered (and still do) keys to many of the answers. They are not prescriptive, but rather they combine to create a philosophical approach to running a business, that if adhered to, will stand a chance of succeeding for customers, workers and partners on a global stage.
For those of you seeking seasonal reading or looking for some cutting-edge thinking, I’ve got two very different suggestions for you. The first comes from author and consultant Gary Hamel on his management reading recommendations that push the envelope on conventional thinking. The second is a bit more seasonal as author Les Standiford takes a look at how Charles Dickens reinvented his career and changed the way we celebrate Christmas all at the same time.
My parting observation is that it is absolutely essential for us to explore and develop our skills and talents in our professional lives. Life is precious and preciously short, and it's a good idea to quit wasting time and start sorting out how to leverage our strengths and talents in our work.
Job search is a hot topic right now, and I received a number of notes from individuals who read my Irreverent Opinions of a Resume Hobbyist post the other day, asking for input about how to craft a Personal/Professional Value Proposition to support their job-hunting activities. I said in the post that I view this as the hardest task in developing an effective resume (and self-marketing strategy), and is the area where you will likely spend the most time creating content and agonizing over wording.
Marketing yourself is a tough job and one of the most important jobs that you will ever undertake. And then undertake again. And again. I have no claims on “expert” status when it comes to personal marketing materials, but I do have claims on hiring expert talent to grow businesses. Somewhere out there is a hiring executive hoping that the next superstar is in that pile of paper or e-mail messages. A little common-sense advice might just help you stand out and show this executive why you are the answer.
As companies teeter or plunge over the brink, you will be faced with a host of remarkable opportunities and complex decisions. One of the greatest opportunities is for you to develop programs to capture the nervous customers of your competitors, who are most concerned about continuity in their supply/service chains.
