Comments for Strategyn Blog http://blog.strategyn.com A blog on Innovation and Growth Strategies. Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:29:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Comment on Silence the Voice of the Customer (VOC) by Dyan Ishii http://blog.strategyn.com/2011/06/15/silence-the-voice-of-the-customer-voc-2/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Dyan Ishii Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:29:42 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=133#comment-126 Someone I work with visits your blog frequently and recommended it to me to read too. The writing style is great and the content is top-notch. Thanks for the insight you provide the readers! Someone I work with visits your blog frequently and recommended it to me to read too. The writing style is great and the content is top-notch. Thanks for the insight you provide the readers!

]]> Comment on The Right Product for the Right Job by Eric Eskey http://blog.strategyn.com/2011/05/01/the-right-product-for-the-right-job/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Eric Eskey Fri, 06 May 2011 17:06:54 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=114#comment-20 Peter, Many thanks. I like your thinking. Very often in change situations we rely on the analytical tools we were trained to use in business school to tackle change. We think that change happens because we analyze problems, we think about them, and then "change happens." This approach is deeply embedded in our corporate cultures. But in taking this approach we often ignore the powerful set of motivations that come from feeling and the profound influence our environment has on behavior. Most of us didn't arrive at the decision to take on some of the most profound changes in our lives - getting married and having kids - by first establishing a set criteria, evaluating our options, and then making a choice. Can you imagine a young man asking his girlfriend to marry him by starting his proposal with, "Good news! Your net present value is positive..." But how many times have we sat in presentations, being presented good, well thought out analyses, only to have our decision makers at best say, "That sounds good. Let's get to that next quarter. Let's get to that next year." Innovation is fundamentally about change, because for innovation to happen someone, somewhere has to start acting differently. Maybe it's our customers and how they interact with our products and services. Maybe it our people and how they deliver those products and services to our customers. And what if we could dramatically increase our success rates by going beyond just providing them analysis and rationale, but also providing them direction, motivating them, and shaping their environment to make those changes easier? I find that new reality exciting. Peter, Many thanks. I like your thinking. Very often in change situations we rely on the analytical tools we were trained to use in business school to tackle change. We think that change happens because we analyze problems, we think about them, and then “change happens.” This approach is deeply embedded in our corporate cultures. But in taking this approach we often ignore the powerful set of motivations that come from feeling and the profound influence our environment has on behavior.

Most of us didn’t arrive at the decision to take on some of the most profound changes in our lives – getting married and having kids – by first establishing a set criteria, evaluating our options, and then making a choice. Can you imagine a young man asking his girlfriend to marry him by starting his proposal with, “Good news! Your net present value is positive…” But how many times have we sat in presentations, being presented good, well thought out analyses, only to have our decision makers at best say, “That sounds good. Let’s get to that next quarter. Let’s get to that next year.”

Innovation is fundamentally about change, because for innovation to happen someone, somewhere has to start acting differently. Maybe it’s our customers and how they interact with our products and services. Maybe it our people and how they deliver those products and services to our customers. And what if we could dramatically increase our success rates by going beyond just providing them analysis and rationale, but also providing them direction, motivating them, and shaping their environment to make those changes easier? I find that new reality exciting.

]]> Comment on The Right Product for the Right Job by Peter Bradford http://blog.strategyn.com/2011/05/01/the-right-product-for-the-right-job/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Peter Bradford Thu, 05 May 2011 14:13:27 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=114#comment-19 Eric- Good article. I like your thinking and the application to a personal situation. The partnership with the Heath brothers sounds like a productive direction. Maybe it's our industry or the kinds of innovation we're attempting for our customers, but it seems that ALL innovations require behavioral change on some level. The question is: Can we make change a downhill slope for our customers? Or, as needed, can we create the series of 'canal locks' that takes them to the next level of capability? Eric- Good article. I like your thinking and the application to a personal situation. The partnership with the Heath brothers sounds like a productive direction.

Maybe it’s our industry or the kinds of innovation we’re attempting for our customers, but it seems that ALL innovations require behavioral change on some level. The question is: Can we make change a downhill slope for our customers? Or, as needed, can we create the series of ‘canal locks’ that takes them to the next level of capability?

]]> Comment on Measuring Innovation Success by Tony Sgroi http://blog.strategyn.com/2011/02/10/measuring-innovation-success/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Tony Sgroi Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:58:55 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=106#comment-18 Tony, I agree with your approach via outcome driven innovation. I have been a fan of Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) for years and I feel that BOS truly lacked the Voice of Customer approach in finding new product ideas. I read your book awhile back and I feel that you hit the nail right on the head. Today, in this global competitive market, companies need some type of method to gather new product ideas to satisfy customer and attract non-customers. Most companies do not use any such tool for this activity, they simply shoot from the hip. The outcome driven approach clearly allows for the breakdown of jobs in terms of their process steps. The more steps in the job the better as more opportunities are discovered for innovations! Tony, I agree with your approach via outcome driven innovation. I have been a fan of Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) for years and I feel that BOS truly lacked the Voice of Customer approach in finding new product ideas. I read your book awhile back and I feel that you hit the nail right on the head. Today, in this global competitive market, companies need some type of method to gather new product ideas to satisfy customer and attract non-customers. Most companies do not use any such tool for this activity, they simply shoot from the hip. The outcome driven approach clearly allows for the breakdown of jobs in terms of their process steps. The more steps in the job the better as more opportunities are discovered for innovations!

]]> Comment on Measuring Innovation Success by Rob Spackey http://blog.strategyn.com/2011/02/10/measuring-innovation-success/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Rob Spackey Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:42:19 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=106#comment-17 This is a nice elaboration on the process behind innovation. At my organization, College Summit, we'll be applying these principles to create and improve education products. I know there are opporunities out there, and I'm betting Outcome Driven Innovation can help us find them. I'll be blogging about it here: http://www.collegesummit.org/blog/blog_detail/creating-great-products-at-college-summit/ This is a nice elaboration on the process behind innovation. At my organization, College Summit, we’ll be applying these principles to create and improve education products. I know there are opporunities out there, and I’m betting Outcome Driven Innovation can help us find them. I’ll be blogging about it here: http://www.collegesummit.org/blog/blog_detail/creating-great-products-at-college-summit/

]]> Comment on What to Do With All That Cash? by LJ Davis http://blog.strategyn.com/2010/08/02/what-to-do-with-all-that-cash/comment-page-1/#comment-15 LJ Davis Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:29:13 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=67#comment-15 Agreed. I think it actually helps to simply call attention to these facts published by the NY Times and others. It is only a matter of time before things start to turn around, and corporations begin to get antsy. They aren't ALL idiots. At some point soon, they'll get nervous about being out of the innovation game and be able to convince shareholders it is time to take some of that cash and invest in their futures. Agreed. I think it actually helps to simply call attention to these facts published by the NY Times and others. It is only a matter of time before things start to turn around, and corporations begin to get antsy. They aren’t ALL idiots. At some point soon, they’ll get nervous about being out of the innovation game and be able to convince shareholders it is time to take some of that cash and invest in their futures.

]]> Comment on What to Do With All That Cash? by Jeff Gotro http://blog.strategyn.com/2010/08/02/what-to-do-with-all-that-cash/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Jeff Gotro Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:51:18 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=67#comment-14 Tony, You are right on the money. What we are seeing are the results of very short-term thinking. One can argue the reasons why, like fear, risk aversion, greed, but the situation is concerning. My question is "how are new jobs going to be created?" Think about some key breakthrough technologies like the integrated circuit, laser, cellular telephone, internet, etc. They created whole industries and millions of new jobs. Where is the next big innovation coming from? As you stated until corporate America invests in the future, the job situation isn't likely to improve very quickly. Innovation and product development are the keys to future success. Tony,
You are right on the money. What we are seeing are the results of very short-term thinking. One can argue the reasons why, like fear, risk aversion, greed, but the situation is concerning. My question is “how are new jobs going to be created?” Think about some key breakthrough technologies like the integrated circuit, laser, cellular telephone, internet, etc. They created whole industries and millions of new jobs. Where is the next big innovation coming from? As you stated until corporate America invests in the future, the job situation isn’t likely to improve very quickly. Innovation and product development are the keys to future success.

]]> Comment on What to Do With All That Cash? by Tweets that mention What to Do With All That Cash? « Strategyn Blog -- Topsy.com http://blog.strategyn.com/2010/08/02/what-to-do-with-all-that-cash/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Tweets that mention What to Do With All That Cash? « Strategyn Blog -- Topsy.com Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:29:35 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=67#comment-13 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim DeRosett, Veronica Tsvetkov. Veronica Tsvetkov said: #Strategyn CEO makes a great suggestion for what Corporate America should do with all their recent profits. http://bit.ly/90Dhx3 [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim DeRosett, Veronica Tsvetkov. Veronica Tsvetkov said: #Strategyn CEO makes a great suggestion for what Corporate America should do with all their recent profits. http://bit.ly/90Dhx3 [...]

]]> Comment on What to Do With All That Cash? by Chris Lynn http://blog.strategyn.com/2010/08/02/what-to-do-with-all-that-cash/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Chris Lynn Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:01:50 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=67#comment-12 US corporations are, as ever, focused on the next quarter's results to the detriment of the longer-term. The reasons have been well-rehearsed over the past couple of years - incentives for senior executives that are misaligned with long-term value creation, limited ability of shareholders to exert influence except by selling the stock, a parasitic financial sector, and so on. The result is not only the pernicious failure to invest in innovation that you rightly bemoan. It is resulting in an overworked, over-stressed, and demoralized middle management that is likely to jump ship as soon as the economy turns around, depriving large corporations of their most experienced people just when they will be most-needed. The only upside to the situation is that, when these people leave, they typically swear never to return to Corporate America - making them the potential entrepreneurs whose innovations could drive the next wave of real value creation. US corporations are, as ever, focused on the next quarter’s results to the detriment of the longer-term. The reasons have been well-rehearsed over the past couple of years – incentives for senior executives that are misaligned with long-term value creation, limited ability of shareholders to exert influence except by selling the stock, a parasitic financial sector, and so on.

The result is not only the pernicious failure to invest in innovation that you rightly bemoan. It is resulting in an overworked, over-stressed, and demoralized middle management that is likely to jump ship as soon as the economy turns around, depriving large corporations of their most experienced people just when they will be most-needed.

The only upside to the situation is that, when these people leave, they typically swear never to return to Corporate America – making them the potential entrepreneurs whose innovations could drive the next wave of real value creation.

]]> Comment on What to Do With All That Cash? by Veronica Tsvetkov http://blog.strategyn.com/2010/08/02/what-to-do-with-all-that-cash/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Veronica Tsvetkov Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:09:05 +0000 http://blog.strategyn.com/?p=67#comment-11 Great post. I completely agree with what you said about companies needing to invest in their futures by investing in innovation and research and development. Great post. I completely agree with what you said about companies needing to invest in their futures by investing in innovation and research and development.

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