Family owned businesses need to be cautious of unintended consequences. Often a shoot from the hip great idea has many, many ramifications. In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the ones foreseen and intended by a purposeful action. The term was popularized in the twentieth century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton Unintended consequences can [Continue Reading]
Does your Business do Lookahead planning?
Lookahead planning is an often overlooked phase in project/program management. Many times Family businesses do little look-ahead planning. Lookahead Planning establishes a way forward, a schedule, based on input from the stakeholders, that creates realistic guidelines to meet the objectives of the project. Evolution is a relentless process that seems to keep going and [Continue Reading]
Organizational Structure: “The more things change, the more they stay the same”
The more things change, the more they stay the same — plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Organizational Structure At the turn of the century in three different parts of the world three different men published treaties on business, organizational structure and organizational theory. Many of their ideas are still used today. The [Continue Reading]
Great Companies, Family Businesses, Don’t Start With A Plan! Really?
Planning, Passion and Purpose in Great Companies Many Colleges and Universities have a center for small business, some have programs for family businesses and a few even offer degrees in Family Business Management. Many if not all offer classes on business plans, strategic plans, tactical plans, short term plan, 5 year plan and some [Continue Reading]
Give Time for Time.
Time Management- Donner du temps au temp Time in the organization is constant and irreversible. Nothing can be substituted for time. Worse, once wasted, it can never be regained. Everyone has numerous demands on their limited time. Time keeps getting away and we have trouble controlling it. No matter what your position, we cannot stop [Continue Reading]
Consider Millennials In Your 5-Year Family Business’ Strategic Plans
. The Pounding of T.S. Elliot , Technology and Generations Last week there was an article reviewing Technology in 2011, the writer spoke of Twitter, Blackberry, Zuckerberg’s Facebook finally commenting on T.S. Elliot’s The Waste Land. His point was the power of a Kindle or iPad to permit you to read and hear this classic [Continue Reading]
Strategic Imagination And Innovation – “For Every IPOD There’s Two Pairs of MC Hammer Pants”
Strategic Imagination Recently I had a chance to catch up with a lifelong friend; he was just finishing a project halfway around the world for a very large firm. My buddy has always been a little “out there”; I remembered years ago when we were travelling together on business, he went to stretch his legs [Continue Reading]
“Seeing around corners”
Recently I read a white paper, “Machiavelli’s The Prince Meets Sun Tzu” that made me consider statesmanship and negotiation rather than war. Sun Tzu said, every battle is won or lost before it’s every fought. Battles are won or lost in the preparation. Seeing around corners is all about preparation. Preparation requires skill, skills we [Continue Reading]