Winning Moves Blog

In light of my last blog post about cultural strengths, and my newsletter that went out in late July (Strengths Drive Business Success, Weaknesses May Block It), I think the timing is right for a discussion of what former Google executive Marissa Mayer may face in her new role at the helm of Yahoo. Can Mayer succeed at turning Yahoo around? It will depend heavily upon how well Continue reading “The Challenges of Bringing Yahoo a Turnaround from Google” »

The article, Cultural Change that Sticks: Start with What’s Already Working, by Jon R. Katzenbach, Ilona Steffen, and Caroline Kronley, in the July-August 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review, makes some strong points that are consistent with the evolutionary Winning Moves® approach. Just as my 25+ years of research finds that gradual evolutionary change fosters business success, the Harvard article recommends that Continue reading “Take an Evolutionary Approach and Include Cultural Strengths in Strategy Development” »

I was intrigued by a recent article on this topic because I have been researching business success and failure patterns for over 25 years, and theories play an important role in my work. In my quest to identify “Winning Moves” for business success, I gather information about companies, I look for patterns in the moves companies make, and I develop theories that explain Continue reading “How Might Market Research Be Improved with Greater Use of Theories?” »

The value of recruiting insiders, whether as CEO or at lower levels, comes across in a May 30 Wall Street Journal article “An Inside Job: More Firms Opt to Recruit from Within,” which discusses how companies are recruiting internally. A sidebar titled “Chief Executives Hired Internally Outlast, Outperform their Rivals” reported on Booz and Company’s 12th Annual CEO Succession Study. The Wall Street Journal article did not discuss recruiting corporate boards of directors. But, in touting the value of internal recruits even at the CEO level, the article can stimulate Continue reading “The Value of Recruiting from Within: What Might It Imply about Independent Directors on Boards?” »

To evolve successfully, a company needs the right blend of both change and stability. Too little change can leave a company stagnating, especially when business has flattened or is eroding. But, too much change can be just as harmful, or even more so. That’s why Continue reading “Not Too Much Change, Not Too Little for a Business to Evolve Successfully” »