I've been reading and thinking a lot lately about what is described as a "culture of innovation".  While I would like to think that such an animal exists, the more skeptical side of me doubts it.  I think a culture of innovation is kind of like a unicorn:  it would be cool if it existed, and some people claim to have seen one, but when you get up close...

 Many of us who work in the consulting and strategy space often talk about the difficulties in understanding and more importantly, changing a corporate culture.  Typically, we are talking about moving a culture from its current set of values that has sustained the business, to a culture that helps the company compete in a new reality that may be different...

 I had quite a day yesterday, meeting with a potential partner at Starbucks, getting my iPhone repaired at the Apple store and a number of other activities.  Along the way I encountered a couple of very successful companies:  Starbucks, where I met a potential partner, Apple, where I went to get some repairs done on my iPhone and Chik-Fil-A, which was...

 In my last two blogs, I made the argument that given how fast change is happening, your strategy must incorporate and address external change and the ability to change internally.  Otherwise, you are creating strategy that ignores exceptionally powerful forces that are creating change and shifting the competitive markets in real time.  In the more...

 I wrote a piece last week introducing the idea that change is strategic, and that strategy should consider change competency as a core competency.  Change is happening so quickly and from so many different directions and dimensions that companies cannot create strategy without also preparing for and being ready to change. Companies cannot build static...

 I was reviewing the website of a strategy consulting firm recently, and their focus on strategy and team alignment felt like the same old, same old.  I read further to discover that they focus on passion and mission (hello Simon Sinek).  But what struck me about their work is that they also focus on culture and change management.  These latter two...