Perspectives
Personal Attention
My father tells a good story about a time when he was running one of Canada's largest retailers. He was out of town one day visiting stores in one region and it was coming to the end of a packed day. It looked like he wasn't going to be able to get to the last store...
Valuation Metrics
I've had a bunch of interesting discussions lately about valuation metrics for a business. I know I'm straying from leadership and execution a bit here this week but bear with me as I link it in. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes that valuation is an art, not a...
Using Metrics to Develop Strategy
I usually talk about using metrics to execute strategy. They are also useful to help you develop strategy and are part of the whole Lean Start-up methodology. I have included a video on the subject for your edification and enjoyment. It is a bit long at just under an...
If success starts with failure does it also always lead to failure?
Otherwise known as "what got you here won't get you there" is something interesting to ponder. I think it is taken as given that you have to fail in order to succeed. I'm not sure if anyone will argue with that one. But I've been pondering whether success will...
What does Failure look Like?
While I'm asking question about success, I guess it is fair to ask questions about failure. It actually may be easier to define success than failure and to know when you're there. If failure is seen as not achieving success then anything other than perfection can be...
Success – How will you know when you’re there?
The Olympics were a great chance to watch others succeed (and fail.) If you're an Olympic athlete, success may be doing the best you can in an event, getting a personal best. But how will an Olympic athlete know that they are there, that they have succeeded? Does just...
What does success look like?
I was chatting with a new acquaintance last week about her job and I asked her a simple question that I now ask almost everyone I talk to. "What does success look like." The sad part is that she was unable to answer the question. It's the same question I asked two...
Damn Fitbit Metrics
I got a Fitbit Force for Christmas from my mother (thanks Mom) and it has had the unfortunate side effect of making me obsessive about how active I am on a daily basis. As a proponent of metrics, I totally get how they can be used to change behaviour but until now, I...
Does anyone care what you have to say?
If you read yesterday's blog, you may have noticed that I used LinkedIn to figure out how many people in my network were interested in Strategic Planning versus Strategy Execution. In doing that little piece of analysis I think I may have stumbled onto an interesting...