Saturday, January 07, 2006
"The Seeds of Innovation " by Elaine Dundon
“ The Seeds of Innovation “ by Elaine Dundon
Trend watching can help you anticipate how the landscape will change and how you can prepare for these changes. Trend watching can help you anticipate what customers might want in the future. For example, car manufacturers could anticipate that as urban centres become more dense, customers might want cars that offer more safety and control. In addition to looking at trends in the marketplace yourself, ask others what trends they believe tare shaping your industry and why they think these trends are important.
When you see a trend, ask yourself the following Five questions.
1) What is causing this trend ?
2) How will this trend affect my team and my organization ?
3) What problems will this trend cause ?
4) What opportunities does this trend offer ?
5) How can we turn this trend into a practical application ?
Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come. Failing to see the changing market place, or what Theodore Levitt charactarised as “ Marketing myopia” can lead to serious challenges. Insights mining, or translating new information into insights , is both an art and a science. The science part includes the ability to analyse market conditions, consumer needs, and internal circumstances and then, convert this information into insights. The art part includes the ability to be more aware of the opportunities in and , through imagination , mold this information into further insights.
Only one book by this author at amazon, cited above, which received a 5-star rating. Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814471463/qid=1136632646/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6198030-2943218?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Trend watching can help you anticipate how the landscape will change and how you can prepare for these changes. Trend watching can help you anticipate what customers might want in the future. For example, car manufacturers could anticipate that as urban centres become more dense, customers might want cars that offer more safety and control. In addition to looking at trends in the marketplace yourself, ask others what trends they believe tare shaping your industry and why they think these trends are important.
When you see a trend, ask yourself the following Five questions.
1) What is causing this trend ?
2) How will this trend affect my team and my organization ?
3) What problems will this trend cause ?
4) What opportunities does this trend offer ?
5) How can we turn this trend into a practical application ?
Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come. Failing to see the changing market place, or what Theodore Levitt charactarised as “ Marketing myopia” can lead to serious challenges. Insights mining, or translating new information into insights , is both an art and a science. The science part includes the ability to analyse market conditions, consumer needs, and internal circumstances and then, convert this information into insights. The art part includes the ability to be more aware of the opportunities in and , through imagination , mold this information into further insights.
Only one book by this author at amazon, cited above, which received a 5-star rating. Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814471463/qid=1136632646/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6198030-2943218?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
"Encore Provence " by Peter Mayle
Returning to a place where you have been happy is enerall refaded as a mistake. Memory is a notoriously biased and sentimental editor, selecting what it wants a to keep and invariably making a few cosmetic changes to past events. With reose-coloured hindsight, the good times become magical : the bad times fade and eventually disappear, leaving only a seductive blur of sunlit days and the laughter of friends.
Amazon page of Peter Mayle is here :
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=br_ss_hs/102-3954160-5250549?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dstripbooks%3Arelevance-above&field-keywords=%22Peter+Mayle%22&Go.x=4&Go.y=15
Review of concerned page is here :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679731148/qid=1136622658/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/102-3954160-5250549?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Most of his books received 4-rating, some, 4.5 and some 5. Some author, whay ya think ?
Amazon page of Peter Mayle is here :
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=br_ss_hs/102-3954160-5250549?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dstripbooks%3Arelevance-above&field-keywords=%22Peter+Mayle%22&Go.x=4&Go.y=15
Review of concerned page is here :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679731148/qid=1136622658/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/102-3954160-5250549?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Most of his books received 4-rating, some, 4.5 and some 5. Some author, whay ya think ?
Friday, January 06, 2006
"In search of Excellence" Tom Peters & Bob Water
People and the organisations are not ' rational' in the ways strategy, business, and organisations are typically taught. It's dangerous to force a simplicstic, and misguided rationality on the way we manage. You cannot just manage " by the numbers."
Second, most of the management systems that treat people as " factors of production " , as the cogs in an industrial machine, are inherenetly demovitating. Leaders need to set people free to help, not try to harness them.
Third, the world is a confusing place , full of ambiguity. The hardest thing to manage is the " soft stuff", especially, culture. What's different about the top performers ?
A bias for action. Just as you don't learn anythin in science without experimenting, you don't learn anything in business without trying, failing, and trying again. Next , stay close to the customer. The rule may explain an incredibly long history of successes. Autonomy and entrepreneurship. Even if you are big, act small. Organisations are simply collections of people, and people don't relate well to big, abstract entities. Productivity through people. What esle counts in an organisation except people ? Hands -on, value driven. The top companies make meaning, not just moey. Stick to the knitting. Except for one or two notable exceptions, nothing screws up a successful business more than a hyperfast growth. Simple form, lean staff. Install a simple, and workable structure.
Amazon page on the book, here :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060548789/qid=1136535869/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6198030-2943218?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Second, most of the management systems that treat people as " factors of production " , as the cogs in an industrial machine, are inherenetly demovitating. Leaders need to set people free to help, not try to harness them.
Third, the world is a confusing place , full of ambiguity. The hardest thing to manage is the " soft stuff", especially, culture. What's different about the top performers ?
A bias for action. Just as you don't learn anythin in science without experimenting, you don't learn anything in business without trying, failing, and trying again. Next , stay close to the customer. The rule may explain an incredibly long history of successes. Autonomy and entrepreneurship. Even if you are big, act small. Organisations are simply collections of people, and people don't relate well to big, abstract entities. Productivity through people. What esle counts in an organisation except people ? Hands -on, value driven. The top companies make meaning, not just moey. Stick to the knitting. Except for one or two notable exceptions, nothing screws up a successful business more than a hyperfast growth. Simple form, lean staff. Install a simple, and workable structure.
Amazon page on the book, here :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060548789/qid=1136535869/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6198030-2943218?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Sunday, January 01, 2006
"A New Beginning" by Karen Casey
Goals give direction to our lives. But the trip itself, the steps we trael, offers us daily satisfaction moment by moment - the fulfilment, if we'd but realise it. Too often, we keep ours sights on the goal's completion, rather than the PROCESS - the day to day living that makes the completion possible.
How often do we think, " When I land that promotion, my troubles are over". Life will begin " WHEN" - or so it seems in our minds. And when this attitude controls our thinking, we pass up our opportunity to live, altogether.
How sad that the hours, the days, the weeks, may be even the months we toiled are now gone, with little sense of all the could have meant. To make gains in this life we must venture forth to new places, contact new people , chance new experiences. Even though we may be fearful of the new, we must go forward. It's comforting to remember that we never take any step alone. It is our destiny to experience many new beginnings. And a dimension of the growth process is to develop trust that each of these experiences will in time, comfort us.
Every new beginning is needed by our developing selves. We must let go of people, places, memories and move on to new experiences. The doors of the past must be closeed before we can enter those that are opening to us today. However, no experience is gone forever. All our experiences are threaded together, each one contributing to the events that claim our attention now !
Excerpts from : "A New Beginning" by Karen Casey
Amazon Link for Karen Casey books, all received good ratings and most books related to spirituality, feminism, and life related : Here's the link :
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-6198030-2943218?url=index%3Dstripbooks%3Arelevance-above&field-keywords=%22Karen+Casey%22
Amazon link for the book excerpted from: " A new beginning " which also received impressive reviews from amazon .
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0894861611/qid=1136178507/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/002-6198030-2943218?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
"Book DescriptionWith over two million copies in print, this classic women's daily meditation book offers inspiration and guidance for dealing with the callenges of recovery.About the AuthorKaren Casey is the best-selling author of Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course, Keepers of the Wisdom, and numerous other books. She has also written two books for girls: Girls Only! and Girl to Girl. Her signature book, Each Day a New Beginning, has sold three million copies. Karen enjoys golfing and riding her Harley with her husband. She lives in Minneapolis, and Naples, Florida. "
How often do we think, " When I land that promotion, my troubles are over". Life will begin " WHEN" - or so it seems in our minds. And when this attitude controls our thinking, we pass up our opportunity to live, altogether.
How sad that the hours, the days, the weeks, may be even the months we toiled are now gone, with little sense of all the could have meant. To make gains in this life we must venture forth to new places, contact new people , chance new experiences. Even though we may be fearful of the new, we must go forward. It's comforting to remember that we never take any step alone. It is our destiny to experience many new beginnings. And a dimension of the growth process is to develop trust that each of these experiences will in time, comfort us.
Every new beginning is needed by our developing selves. We must let go of people, places, memories and move on to new experiences. The doors of the past must be closeed before we can enter those that are opening to us today. However, no experience is gone forever. All our experiences are threaded together, each one contributing to the events that claim our attention now !
Excerpts from : "A New Beginning" by Karen Casey
Amazon Link for Karen Casey books, all received good ratings and most books related to spirituality, feminism, and life related : Here's the link :
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-6198030-2943218?url=index%3Dstripbooks%3Arelevance-above&field-keywords=%22Karen+Casey%22
Amazon link for the book excerpted from: " A new beginning " which also received impressive reviews from amazon .
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0894861611/qid=1136178507/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/002-6198030-2943218?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
"Book DescriptionWith over two million copies in print, this classic women's daily meditation book offers inspiration and guidance for dealing with the callenges of recovery.About the AuthorKaren Casey is the best-selling author of Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course, Keepers of the Wisdom, and numerous other books. She has also written two books for girls: Girls Only! and Girl to Girl. Her signature book, Each Day a New Beginning, has sold three million copies. Karen enjoys golfing and riding her Harley with her husband. She lives in Minneapolis, and Naples, Florida. "
