How to Lead Design Thinking When People Aren’t Familiar with It?
Harvard Business Review 2019: How to Lead Design Thinking When People Aren’t Familiar with It?
Why Strong Leadership Is Crucial
Even more than other change-management processes, design thinking requires active and effective leadership to keep efforts on a path to success.
How?
By leveraging empathy, encouraging divergence and navigating ambiguity, and rehearsing new futures. #commercialinnovation #servicedesign
Value denial is a business opportunity
“A 'value denial' is a business opportunity.
Every change and innovation creates new value denials”
Richard Rumelt
McKinsey & Company - Strategy’s strategist: an interview with Richard Rumelt
Richard Rumelt: Most corporate strategic plans have little to do with strategy. They are simply three-year or five-year rolling resource budgets and some sort of market share projection. Calling this strategic planning creates false expectations that the exercise will somehow produce a coherent strategy.
This plan coordinates the deployment of resources—but it’s not strategy. These resource budgets simply cannot deliver what senior managers want: a pathway to substantially higher performance.
There are only two ways to get that. One, you can invent your way to success. Unfortunately, you can’t count on that. The second path is to exploit some change in your environment—in technology, consumer tastes, laws, resource prices, or competitive behavior—and ride that change with quickness and skill. This second path is how most successful companies make it. Changes, however, don’t come along in nice annual packages, so the need for strategy work is episodic, not necessarily annual.
So my basic recommendation is to do two things: avoid the label “strategic plan”—call those budgets “long-term resource plans”—and start a separate, nonannual, opportunity-driven process for strategy work.
So strategy starts with identifying changes? Right!
Even though these changes have long-term consequences, companies need to take a position now. By “take a position” I mean invest in resources that will be made more valuable by the changes that are happening.
Strategic thinking helps us take positions in a world that is confusing and uncertain. You can’t get rid of ambiguity and uncertainty—they are the flip side of opportunity. If you want certainty and clarity, wait for others to take a position and see how they do. Then you’ll know what works, but it will be too late to profit from the knowledge.
So how does a company take a good position?
Well, one big factor is a predatory posture focused on going after changes.
Steve Jobs: “I am going to wait for the next big thing.” Jobs didn’t give me a doorknob-polishing answer. He didn’t say, “We’re cutting costs and we’re making alliances.” He was waiting until the right moment for that predatory leap, which for him was Pixar and then, in an even bigger way, the iPod. That very predatory approach of leaping through the window of opportunity and staying focused on those big wins—not on maintenance activities—is what distinguishes a real entrepreneurial strategy.
So he spotted—and then exploited—a change whose time had come.
What capabilities do companies need in order to take advantage of these ideas?
Richard Rumelt: There is no substitute for entrepreneurial insight, but almost all innovation flows from the unexpected combination of two or more things, so companies need access to and, in some cases, control over the right knowledge and skill pools.
So how do we know which changes are important and which resources to combine?
Most of the strategy concepts in use today are static. They explain the stability and sustainability of competitive advantages. Strategy concepts like core competencies, experience curves, market share, entry barriers, scale, corporate culture, and even the idea of “superior resources” are essentially static, telling us why a particular position is defensible—why it holds the high ground.
Strategy dynamics studies how those changes would shift each dimension of an industry. Would the industry become more concentrated or less? More integrated or less? Would there be more product differentiation or less? More segmentation or less? Given consumer desires and available technologies, how should the industry or business look in, say, ten years? Where are the economic forces trying to take you? Should your strategy ride those forces or fight them?
What’s another way to understand strategy dynamics?
I use another tool I call “value denials.” These are products or services that are both desired and feasible but are not being supplied to the market. The concept combines insights into demand and potential supply. A classic example is an airline ticket guaranteeing that your luggage will not be lost. It just isn’t supplied at any price. There must be a price at which airlines would hand-carry luggage to the baggage compartment and even a price at which they would strap it into the seat next to you! There are times when we would pay the premium, but those services are not offered. That’s a value denial.
A value denial is a business opportunity. Every change and innovation creates new value denials. People wanted to buy music à la carte and keep 10,000 songs on their computers. Well, they got that, but there was a value denial: the digital music wasn’t portable. So along come the MP3 player and the iPod. But those innovations uncovered a new value denial: people also want to plug their players into their stereos. Well, this was pretty easily fixed, but playing your MP3s on your stereo uncovers yet another value denial: MP3s are compressed and just don’t sound as good as CDs. Finally, even when I have immediate access to all music anywhere and anytime through the “jukebox in the sky,” there will still be a value denial—how will I know what to listen to? I will need a private tutor and disc jockey to help arrange my listening and maybe to shape my tastes.
So one useful way to think about change is to turn aside from the central innovation and ask yourself what value denials it will uncover. How will they be fixed? And what value denials will then be uncovered by that fix?
Four sales training methods to improve sales performance
Four sales training methods to improve sales performance
How We Made Our Sales Training More Effective by Making It Harder
1. Include leaders in practice sessions
2. Make practice harder than the sale itself
3. Practice the entire sales cycle, not just the first call
4. Have the highest performers practice, too
The importance of customer centricity and customer experience in B2B
B2B companies will also need to shift to a customer-centered business model
Three Driving Forces in B2B Markets
Consumerization of customer expectations
Distinct characteristics of B2B purchasing
Evolving analytics and algorithms
Four Pillars of Superior Digital Customer Experience
Pillar 1: Comprehensive, Personalized Customer Experiences
Pillar 2: Segmented Customer Needs
Pillar 3: Facilitated Customer Interactions
Pillar 4: Customer-Centered Operating Models
Zero-based customer journey design
Zero-based design
Some interesting tips about how to succesfully transform customer journeys
1. Are all processes in your organization mapped against end-to-end customer journeys?
2. Do you have people with diverse skill sets on your journey-redesign teams?
3. Are your ideation sessions sparking true innovation or derivative ideas?
4. Is your organization as agile as your journey team?
Kluwer opleiding: sales management van de toekomst
Opleiding sales management 4.0?
'Word sales manager van de toekomst'
Programma topics
De sales manager als strategisch en innovatief leider
De sales manager als inspirerend people manager en coach
De sales manager als sales organisator en talent scout
De sales manager als actie- en prestatiegericht aandrijver
Kritische succesfactoren van een business development project
Met een business development project kan je alle kanten op.
Eén ding is zeker: het is een hefboom om het bedrijf op lange termijn beter te maken.
#businessdevelopmentmanagement #commercialinnovation
Met een business development project kan je alle kanten op.
Eén ding is zeker: het is een hefboom om het bedrijf op lange termijn beter te maken.
Of het nu gaat om expansie, innovatie, winst en omzet verhogen, nieuwe markten betreden of het verbeteren van de efficiëntie van bedrijfsprocessen: nieuwe business development projecten zijn belangrijk voor de lange termijn groei van elke organisatie.
Het toepassingsgebied is open is en er zijn geen standaard werkwijzen. Daarom is het belangrijk om rekening te houden met een aantal kritische succesfactoren die bepalend zijn voor elk project. Kies niet blindelings voor een tijdelijke oplossing. In plaats daarvan kan je beter werken rond enkele succesfactoren om resultaten te oogsten op lange termijn.
Focussen op lange termijn groeikansen
Strategische beslissingen tot in de details voorbereiden
Het onderscheidend vermogen onderzoeken
Multidisciplinair werken
Projectpijplijn feilloos beheren
2.Strategische beslissingen tot in de details voorbereiden - Hoofdtaak van een goede business development manager is het voorbereiden van strategische beslissingen, en niet het nemen van strategische beslissingen. Je verzamelt informatie (intern/extern), analyseert en levert input voor strategische beslissingen.
4.Multidisciplinair werken - Bedrijfsontwikkelingsactiviteiten strekken zich uit over verschillende afdelingen, waaronder verkoop, marketing, customer service, strategische cel, financiën, O&O, productmanagement, projectmanagement, aankoop en leveranciersbeheer. Al deze verschillende afdelingen en activiteiten worden gedreven en afgestemd op de lange termijn ontwikkeldoelen.
1.Focussen op lange termijn groeikansen - Business development omvat ideeën, activiteiten en initiatieven om een bedrijf op lange termijn beter te maken. Om groeikansen binnen en tussen organisaties te ontwikkelen en te implementeren. Het is het creëren van lange termijn waarde voor een organisatie, voor klanten, markten en relaties. Enkel focussen op snelle resultaten en ROI heeft vaak niet het gewenste groei effect. De mogelijkheden van je idee of initiatief worden dan vaak niet ten volle benut.
3.Het onderscheidend vermogen onderzoeken - Geen enkel businessidee is uniek. De kans is groot dat een gelijkaardige business development idee ook elders bestaat. In dat geval is het belangrijk om te focussen op het concurrentieel voordeel van je idee. Bepaal welke voordelen jouw idee onderscheidend maken van andere ideeën en initiatieven van concurrenten.
5.Projectpijplijn feilloos beheren – Wanneer de groei initiatieven en strategieën zijn goedgekeurd door het management, zal goed projectmanagement een wereld van verschil maken. Zonder een feilloze integratie van deze business development initiatieven in één efficiënte pijplijn zal je misschien niet het gewenste resultaat hebben. Besteed daarom voldoende aandacht aan de projectpijplijn om mogelijke risico’s te minimaliseren en te vermijden.
10 Sales Management Strategies that Move the Needle
The objectives of sales management are aligned with the overall goals of any business: grow pipeline, convert leads, increase revenue. Sales managers have the ability to directly impact each of these critical initiatives, and can make themselves invaluable by taking steps to positively influence them.
Social selling: starten met het maken van de juiste connecties
Social selling
LinkedIn video
Masterclass sales management: 'klantbeleving heeft vandaag de hoogste prioriteit'
Schrijf je in voor de nieuwe masterclass sales management 2019
Chris Delvaux over de Sales Manager 2.0
Door de waterval aan technologische mogelijkheden zijn verkoop en verkoopmanagement in volle evolutie. Met de toename van digitale contactmogelijkheden, neemt de klant vandaag steeds meer de leiding in het aankoopproces. Bovendien komt er een nieuwe generatie verkooptalent op de arbeidsmarkt, die net als de klant andere verwachtingen koestert… Wat betekent dat voor de rol van de sales manager? Welke competenties heeft een sales manager nodig om vandaag relevant en succesvol te zijn? Een gesprek met Chris Delvaux, ervaren consultant en trainer, en een getuigenis van Dominique Gossé, Commercial Director Distribution Channel DVV/Les App bij Belfius, over verkoopmanagement vandaag in de verzekeringswereld.
The added value of coaching: simply explained
Watch this video from a surgeon explaining in his own way why it is always an added value to be coached
CXO LEADERSHIP FORUM SUMMER EDITION 2018
CXO LEADERSHIP FORUM SUMMER EDITION 2018 'The new rules for business success in the digital age'. It was fun to participate in the CXO event, with a unique dynamic of cooperation between leaders from different companies
BAIDU’S MELODY - virtual medical assistant
Melody is a virtual medical assistant inside of the Baidu Doctor app in China. The chatbot helps patients articulate their symptoms before seeing a physician.
One common problem doctor’s have with patients is that they often aren’t clear on their own symptoms before booking appointments or seeking medical treatment. Melody the Baidu bot seeks to solve this problem by chatting with patients in an interactive way and helping them articulate their symptoms at the necessary level of detail for physicians.
CXO LEADERSHIP FORUM SUMMER 2018
CXO LEADERSHIP FORUM SUMMER 2018
Theme: The new rules for business success in the digital age – 4 September 2018 – Brussel
hashtag#leadership hashtag#business hashtag#digitization hashtag#commercialinnovation
A Video Conference call in real life: funny!
VIDEO CONFERENCING does not always run the way it is often suggested by the providers. this video shows all restrictions in one funny video.
Maakindustrie en servitisatie: een sterke combinatie
Interessant artikel over servitisatie, nieuwe verantwoordelijkheden voor medewerkers en het belang van een kwalitatieve uitrol in de organisatie.
In dit artikel wordt heel sterk de nadruk gelegd op het belang van een transformatie naar een organisatie waar ALLE medewerkers betrokken en verantwoordelijk zijn voor het 'servicen' van de klanten.
https://www.agoria.be/nl/Maakindustrie-en-servitisatie-een-sterke-combinatie?
The 6 ways to grow a company
Interesting article about growth strategies - innovation - allocation of budget and resources
by Gino Chirio, in HBR.org, June 14, 2018
Change is less scary ...
Change is less scary when you're driving it
Change is less scary...when you're driving it.
Author: Gavin Wedell
In opbouw! Under construction!
In (permanente) opbouw!
Under (permanent) construction!
Om commerciële succesvol te blijven, moeten bedrijven in staat zijn om in een steeds hoger tempo nieuwe produkten en diensten op zodanige wijze te ontwikkelen en te commercialiseren, dat ze onmiddellijk perfecte oplossingen zijn voor actuele klantproblemen.
We spreken over het permanent creëren van unieke waardevoorstellen.
De running lean methode van Ash Maurya laat toe om niet alleen snel en gefocused op de belangrijkste risico's te werken in het ontwikkelingsproces van nieuwe produkten en diensten, maar daarbij ook permanent met early adopters te interageren. Dit laatste maakt het mogelijk om te leren en onmiddellijk bij te sturen.
So far so good... Vaak wordt het vergeten maar ook de commercialisering van nieuwe produkten en diensten moet eveneens nieuw ontwikkeld worden. Wanneer marketing en verkoop na (of al tijdens) de ontwikkelingsfase grondig nadenken over een nieuwe commerciële aanpak voor het lanceren van deze producten en diensten, en deze nieuwe verkoopprocessen ook grondig testen, stijgt de kans op een succesvolle lancering aanzienlijk.
Bij deze aanpak van idee tot commercialisering, is het belangrijk om veel aandacht te besteden aan het samenstellen van het innovatie team, het proces uit te tekenen, en te zorgen voor de juiste begeleiding.
In order to continue being commercial successful, companies must be able to develop and commercialize new products and services in an ever-increasing pace and in such a way that they are immediately perfect solutions to current customer issues.
We prefer to talk about permanently creating unique value propositions.
Ash Maurya's running lean method allows not only to work quickly and focused on the major risks in the development process of new products and services, but also to interact with early adopters permanently. This latter makes it possible to learn and to adapt immediately.
So far so good ... Often forgotten, but also the commercialization of new products and services must also be developed. When marketing and sales after (or already during) the development phase thoroughly reflect on a new commercial approach for launching these products and services, and also thoroughly testing these new sales processes, the likelihood of successful launches increases significantly.
In this approach from idea to commercialization, it is important to devote a lot of attention to the creation of the innovation team, to drawing the process, and to ensure proper guidance.
An interview with Meredith Belbin: the father of Team Roles
Exclusive interview with Meredith Belbin (91)
Dr Raymond Meredith Belbin originally identified the Team Roles (Cambridge) now synonymous with his name while researching teams at Henley Business School during the 1970s
In 1981, Meredith Belbin expounded Team Role theory in his seminal book, Management Teams: Why they Succeed or Fail. The book was later named as one of the top 50 management books of all time.
By downloading the article you are agreeing that it's OK for us to keep in touch. (www.belbin.com)