It was a chewy, tasteless mass of goo: barley malt, nuts, brown rice, molasses, and nutrients blended into a taffy-like bar, packed in a metallic wrapper with a crude logo. Created by Brian Maxwell in 1986 for a few thousand dollars, PowerBar received mixed initial results. Serious athletes liked it because it met an important need—quick energy during competition—but the taste and consistency needed work. Maxwell knew his product wasn’t optimal. But by getting feedback on an early version, he was able to modify...
Photograph by Bloomberg Why are fast-casual restaurants leading the industry now? The days of ordering by a number and having some sort of prepackaged or prescribed meals—that’s not appealing to customers anymore. People don’t want restaurants to tell them that something is good or that something is fresh. The food has to be on display in front of the customer. We put the food on center stage. What’s new at Chipotle? (CMG) For 19 years we haven’t really added a lot to the menu, but we have improved the raw...
"One, cash is king. Get every drop of cash you can get and hold onto it. That is number one. Number two is communicate like you’ve never communicated before to your people. They’re scared. They don’t know what’s happening. Every action you take must be understood by every employee in the place. If used to think you communicated a lot, communicate tenfold more now in every morning at businesses. Get in the skin of every employee so they know everything that’s happening and they aren’t kept sitting out, wondering...
Image courtesy of Leander Kahney This story by Malcolm Gladwell on Xerox and Apple; David and Goliath is THE best "book" on Innovation and implementation I have ever read. If one can't find salient solutions in this magnificent article then a 250 page book on the subject certainly won't do. Comparative to the continuing onslaught of far too many books on the subjects of creation, innovation, and competition, this is an apt example that less is best. From creation to "WOW" to Eureka. Great job Malcolm. Jim The...
Jim Woods is president and founder of Bain Consulting Group. He is an author, speaker, and a strategic innovation and hypercompetition expert to profit, non-profit organizations and municipalities. He advises clients with an objective view of their competitive capabilities and defines a clear course of action to maximize their innovation return on investment to achieve profitable growth. Build a capability for ongoing management innovation across your company. Call 719-358-6962 or contact us for more information...
Jim Woods is president and founder of Bain Consulting Group. He is an author, speaker, and a strategic innovation and hypercompetition expert to profit, non-profit organizations and municipalities. He advises clients with an objective view of their competitive capabilities and defines a clear course of action to maximize their innovation return on investment to achieve profitable growth. Build a capability for ongoing management innovation across your company. Call 719-358-6962 or contact us for more information...
Tom Peters once said, "Exceptional customer service is not about getting what you expected, it's about getting what you didn't expect." Why do you think exceptional customer service is such a pleasant surprise? Why do you think exceptional customer service captures our attention? Why do we tell on average only three people about our exceptional customer experiences and a whopping eleven about our unsatisfactory experience? Customer service is a competitive advantage in an age where retaining acquiring and retaining...
IDEO, the global design firm, is known for the innovation it brings to its clients, from nifty swivel classroom chairs made in collaboration with Steelcase to a revamped in-store environment for GE Money Bank’s outlets in Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic. But according to authors Margaret Schweer, Dimitris Assimakopoulos, Rob Cross and Robert J. Thomas, writing in “Building a Well-Networked Organization,” IDEO is equally adept at bringing innovation to its internal operations. The company has 550 employees...
"No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings." Peter Drucker There isn't an entrepreneur or small-business owner among us who couldn't learn from Eisenhower's words. Indeed, one of the well-known thought characteristics of an entrepreneur is, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." It is just that type of thinking that gets small-business owners in trouble...
Image courtesy of Hugh MacLeod All good managers understand the importance of making sure that every member of a team feels personally motivated and necessary throughout the workday, lest their work should stagnate and suffer. But what's the key to igniting creativity, joy, trust, and productivity among your employees? According to recent research, the single most important factor is simply a sense of making progress on meaningful work. But creating an environment that fosters progress takes some careful effort...
One would hope in this economy leaders and managers are innovation cheerleaders, innovating to create new ventures that will eventually help reshape their business for the better. But in unconventional economic times, leaders often choose to ignore innovative ventures and focus instead on the traditional core business, which reliably generate cash flow; to a point. Still most leaders forget their advantages are obsolete at the moment of discovery. Comfort with what has worked leads to apathetic competitiveness;...
On Monday, actually in a few hours Rim Blackberry Co CEO's will resign. That’s the good news for a company whose stock dropped 75% and who has lost over 50% of a market they created. The bad news and this is bad, investors have elected to keep both on board. The board really doesn’t have a choice since they are the largest stock holders. Not enough bad news? The new CEO comes from the Royal Bank of Scotland without any experience in electronics. Okay, the same can be said of Meg Whitman former CEO of E-bay who now...
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Jim is Bain Consulting Group President and Founder
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Organizational Development and Competition
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"Innovation without thinking in terms of competitive advantage is futile. Business is a state of war however collaborative.” Jim Woods
Jim Woods is a premier innovation and hypercompetition strategist who is obsessed about strategic maneuvering and why organizations commoditize.
To set up consultation, speaking, or coaching –
http://ow.ly/8CkZx
Jim is strategy’s answer to theory. He is the champion of dynamic strategy over static analysis. He is a tactician in a world dominated by theorists.
Jim believes in strategic management based on temporary advantages using rapid fire maneuvering rather than defensive barriers. He is an advocate that all advantages are today assailable. Meaning innovations today have to be constant and penetrating with an aim of competitive surprise. This is a departure from most thinking which encourages leaders and managers to play it safe. To hunker down.
To reduce the risks associated with competition an organization must be adept, immensely competitive, and constantly innovative.
He has worked with government, U.S. Army, MITRE Corporation, Pitney Bowes, Whirlpool, and 3M. Jim’s business experience of more than 25 years, extensive research on competitive strategy and innovation have given him a fresh perspective on improving individual and organizational performance.
Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching on the faculty at Dickinson State University and recently at Colorado Technical University. Jim holds a MS Organizational Development and Human Resources and a BS – Business Management and Leadership.
Innovative thinking. Trusted advice. Inspiring insights. A sought after advisor and speaker, Woods has addressed organizations of various sizes who want to propel growth. Jim is an avid runner and hiker. Contact him today to set up a consultation.
"This is the age of rapid maneuvering rather than defensive barriers." Jim Woods
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