Wrestling With Chaos
In this episode Urko Wood, with Reveal Growth Consultants, discusses how business-to-business (B2B) companies can grow in a predictable manner using a method — Jobs-To-Be-Done — which also sustains value and profitability. The process is described in the seminal book, Jobs to be Done: From Theory to Practice, by Anthony W. Ulwick. Urko also has a free white paper, 3 Steps to Consistently Fill Your New Product Pipeline with Only Good Ideas, you may find quite beneficial for developing new products. The discussion opens with the reality one can’t just prepare to do Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD)...
info_outline 0062 WWC Kent Johnson: Family-owned BusinessWrestling With Chaos
In this episode Kent Johnson, CEO of Highlights for Children, a family-owned business with a majority of independent Board members, discusses a series of topics ranging from his sudden take-over of the CEO position at age 36 due to the death of the incumbent to how the company started to the different avenues of childhood development Highlights pursues. To compound the situation he actually did not want the position since he was working successfully in biotech. Kent refers to the great mentorship he received from the Board of Directors which helped insure assuming the CEO position would be...
info_outline 0061 WWC Jim Bruner: Child Development - STEM vs STEAMWrestling With Chaos
In this episode I talk with Jim Bruner who works in child development and who draws on his long history of mentorship to develop diversity, specifically combining the arts with technology. We started with Jim introducing the importance of diversity - turning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). He and his husband bought a farm and with is half Jim dedicated it to gardening and technology. He realized without diversity technology is a destructive component causing isolation and destruction. With diversity technology can...
info_outline 0060 WWC Recession Prep - processes and employeesWrestling With Chaos
This episode is the first in a series on preparing for the next recession, “Recession Preparation - Processes and Employees.” The entire teamCMC contributes their expertise: • Gary Monti: change management, business analysis/planning, people & politics, project management • John Riley, Agility expert • Jeffrey Cochran, Human Resource expert
info_outline 0059 WWC Influence People by Brian Ahearn - Book ReviewWrestling With Chaos
In this episode I review “Influence People: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade That Are Lasting and Ethical,” written by Brian Ahearn. In addition to influencing people in general, information is provided for those who need to improve their sales cycle. His approach is very practical, laying out key principles and associated acronyms that can be used to practice sharpening you ability to influence people.
info_outline 0058 WWC Coaching vs Therapy - Dr. Katherine Barteck, PsyD, InterviewWrestling With Chaos
This episode is an interview with Dr. Katherine Barteck, PsyD, about the differences between counseling and coaching. She starts with definitions of therapy and coaching. Counseling, or therapy, is about taking an in-depth look at what is creating the current problems. The person can benefit from psychotherapy without necessarily having a diagnosis. Simply having the desire to explore one's past is efficient to gain benefits from psychotherapy.
info_outline 0057 WWC Address Fear, Organize Your Business - Britanny Dixon InterviewWrestling With Chaos
This episode is an interview with Brittany Dixon of Process for Profit. and continues our look at the relationship between fear and bad habits (see the previous article, Fear and Bad Habits - Give Yourself A Break and/or listen to the previous podcast of the same title) . Specifically, we dive into addressing obstacles fear creates which leads to wasting time, lowered efficiency, and an aimlessness in terms of moving one’s business forward.
info_outline 0056 WWC Fear and Bad Habits - Give Yourself a BreakWrestling With Chaos
In this episode the relationship between fear and bad habits and the importance of going easy on yourself are covered. You may notice that when trying to break a bad habit resolution fades and suddenly you're back to the bad habit maybe even more so than before the resolution. There's a good reason for that in this podcast is going to cover that issue.
info_outline 0055 WWC 12 Steps To Flow - Ch 12 - Small Steps to An Agile StrategyWrestling With Chaos
This podcast covers Chapter 12, “Small Steps To An Agile Strategy” of “12 Steps to Flow: The New Framework for Business Agility,” by Haydn Shaughnessy and Fin Goulding. The authors start the chapter by stating a good Flow workplace is one that challenges the idea of big strategy and grand plans. The new method is to build strategy from small steps.
info_outline 0054 WWC 12 Steps To Flow - Ch 11 - Broadening Your Personal Development GoalsWrestling With Chaos
This podcast covers Chapter 11, “Broadening Your Personal Development Goals” of “12 Steps to Flow: The New Framework for Business Agility,” by Haydn Shaughnessy and Fin Goulding. I would have to say if I had a favorite chapter so far this might be it! To quote from the authors, "Flow stands for empowerment. Real empowerment puts responsibilities onto your shoulders. It gives you more liberty, more uncertainty and more need to challenge yourself to grow. You are in charge of more than you realized."
info_outlineToday’s podcast covers Chapter 2, “The Customer in the Agile Business” of “12 Steps to Flow: The New Framework for Business Agility,” by Haydn Shaughnessy and Fin Goulding, developers of the internationally acclaimed workshop, Flow Academy. From my perspective, this chapter is all about the need for complex adaptive systems pulling in information and responding in a real-time manner to customer needs. See what you think.
- Key points from chapter 1 are brought forward:
- matrix innovation
- critical non-essentials and marginal gains
- value-seeking culture
- Flow Value Stack
For more on the Introduction and Chapter 1 go to episode 0037 of Wrestling with Chaos.
The concept CATE is introduced here, in Chapter 2
C = (dynamic) Customer segmentation
A = Asset discovery
T = Targeted ideation
E = Ecosystem
Customer segmentation reveals potential new markets, especially out at the long-tail where new trends are emerging. This requires the ability to innovate and adapt to the new trends on the fly — matrix innovation. Things can keep on changing out on that long tail.
A fascinating example given is creating financial markets for the poor (people outside established banking norms) in Africa via working with NGOs.
Asset discovery addresses what all is needed to satisfy demands in those newly-discovered markets. Do you use existing internal assets? Develop new assets? Utilize customers existing assets? Bring in partners? This is a very rich phase which requires a very direct discovery conversation within the team as well as bringing in the customers (more on that later) and/or potential partners. A conversation flow is established and maintained.
Targeted ideation essential flows from the asset discovery in terms of defining the products generated during customer segmentation.
Ecosystem comprises the context, the “geography,” so to speak of how and where the product(s) fit in the stakeholder landscape.
Economies of scope are discussed which is all about understanding directly customers needs. Rather than abstractions via big data or avatars it is better to gather information directly from, say, social media analysis. This allows for simultaneous differentiation of multiple products/services customer segments may need.
The recommend using social media tools such as StatSocial, Sprinklr, and Crimson Hexagon.
An example is given of a car dealership finding out a high percentage of purchasers were interested in biking. Consequently, they aligned the dealership with adjacent biking products.
An example of the Asset discovery, Targeted ideation, and Ecosystem coming together via the NGOs is a large, global retailer providing the transportation chain needed for land-rich, cash-poor, transportation-deprived farmers in Africa to get their product to richer markets.
Essentially, this is about developing complex adaptive systems that morph with discovers in and changes to the business environment.
In terms of methodologies the authors focus on visual processes…building “walls with post-its.” In other words, no lengthy documents. The team is vital and works as a unit real-time, face-to-face, generating the minimal amount of documentation needed, i.e., organized post-its. The process is very immediate. No lag time. evolving and innovating as they work to stay connected to customers and create solutions for customer needs. For more on the various “Walls” refer to their excellent book, “Flow.”
In line with Business Agility and dealing with complex situations, you can download CMC’s free e-book MINDSET – 5 SIMPLE WAYS TO LOOK AT COMPLEX PROBLEMS and learn how to find a simple vantage point from which you can resolve challenges.
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