It was a holiday-shortened week here in the US, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to shortchange you. This week my 5 favorite business and strategy post are concentrated on insights one can use to help determine how to play the hand they’ve been dealt when they’re struggling feverously to (re)invent a business.
If you enjoy my weekend summary and would like even more practical, useable links than the five I highlight here every week, follow me on Twitter @DonaldMcMichael and Google Plus +DonaldMcMichael. It’s painless. Really.
Blinded by the Light – The Epiphany
Right Brain meet Left Brain… Left meet Right. Given enough time we can all learn about business models and how to use customer development to turn hypotheses into facts. The problem is that what kick starts the best services are when the left and right brain waves collide on the same though, an epiphany. As Steven Blank stated in this post “While we can describe an epiphany, we don’t know how to teach it or make it happen. But we do know how to set up the conditions for it to occur.” He goes though his insight and provides a process that we all practice to increase our changes of generating an epiphany.
The Innovation Matrix Explained: Innovation Commitment
This is a continuation of Tim Kastelle’s series on understanding the innovation matrix. It’s a broad concept that was distilled from Tim’s conversations with individuals that are trying to improve innovation within an organization. According to Tim, “The main point with The Innovation Matrix is that improving your innovation performance is a journey of many steps, not simply one big leap.” If you’re fascinated with business innovation, business model generation, or lean start-ups this is a series you need to follow.
How Top CEOs Succeed at Business Model Innovation
Few at the top of their game would argue against the notion that the most successful companies of the next decade will be those who master business model innovation. This are article pulls back to curtain to allow us an insiders view of how some of the most forward thinking CEOs help business model innovation permeate their organization, drive their future, all while not capsizing the ship.
Where Consultant Should Contribute to Innovation
There has always been grumbling the consultants, this is particularly so when it comes to innovation. This posts lays out the rational for a more holistic approach by walking through the eight major components of the innovation process. This anxiety is the very reason why I focus on designing, testing, and deploying strategic initiatives – so clients feel that the work does fit the bigger picture.
How to Manage When Your Small Business Gets Bigger
Almost every business wants to grow; several are often focus from day one to be a big business. The fact is that if you want to be successful in arriving at their desired state of success you have to do so smartly – those that don’t often limp along in purgatory. This post provides the insights of three agencies on how to handle growth.