Since the financial crisis, many companies have been shutting down locations and cutting back. They no longer want a growth at all costs approach that sacrifices profits for greater size or market share.
Does this mean that companies are less ambitious? And, what is an ambitious growth strategy and when is it likely to succeed? Continue reading “How to Make Ambitious Growth Strategies Succeed” »
The tremendous value of experience is a Winning Moves business success pattern that I wrote about previously in my newsletter. But, if experience is so important, how does an immigrant rug salesman with no experience working for technology companies, and no formal technology education become one of the most successful angel investors in Silicon Valley? Does his impressive success Continue reading “Did He Really Succeed with No Experience in the Industry?” »
According to a Fortune article (The Making of an Oil Empire, February 27, 2012), when Lucas Oil–the company whose name is on the stadium where this year’s Superbowl was played–built its second plant, it bought a nearby railroad with 13 miles of track to service the plant. Lucas Oil Continue reading “The Case Against Outsourcing” »
CEOs spend a great deal of time in meetings, according to research described in a February 14, 2012 Wall Street Journal article “Where’s the Boss? Trapped in a Meeting”. The article conveys the message that, as a result of so much time in meetings, CEOs have little time to think. In fact, “Little Time to Think” is in the subtitle of the article. But, the way the article seems to paint meetings as the enemy of thinking can be misleading. Continue reading “CEOs, Time to Think, and Meetings” »
Unlike what has been fairly typical for the airline industry, Alaska Airlines actually makes money, according to a Wall Street Journal article (An Airline That Makes Money, Really, February 4-5, 2012). The article described Alaska Airlines’ great success in an industry where many others landed in bankruptcy court. Alaska Airlines and its CEO Bill Ayer are to be commended Continue reading “Can Profitable Companies Make Better Strategic Choices than Struggling Companies?” »
