Header Right

Contact Us

Business Advancement

Igniting Momentum for Game-Changing Results

What's New

Preventing Strategic Gridlock Receives Another 5-Star Review

Pamela S. Harper’s critically acclaimed book, Preventing Strategic Gridlock, has garnered another 5-star review on Amazon.com, from Mary Clare Garber, Vice President of Princeton Legal Search Group, LLC. This recent review starts:

“Have you ever found a gem of a book that you know you’ll hold unto and use again and again? I found that book, Preventing Strategic Gridlock by Pamela S. Harper. The value of the book is twofold; the ideas and concepts about how to identify the root causes of seemingly mysterious organizational problems she calls ‘strategic gridlock,’ as well as a process to follow to break through the gridlock and accelerate progress toward high performance results – regardless of the economy…”

To read this and other reviews in full, visit Preventing Strategic Gridlock on Amazon.com.

Are you using the right metrics to track R&D ROI? — Scott is quoted in Chief Executive Magazine

In our work with a wide array of science and technology-based companies over the years, a question we increasingly hear from executives is, “are we spending the right amount on our Research and Development (R&D) efforts?” The answer to this fundamental business performance question is as individual as each company, but a critical component is always the counter question of “how will you know?” As with many other aspects of business, a good deal of that answer starts and ends with metrics, and even more importantly, selecting the right things to measure.

Read More

Pam Harper Discusses How Small and Midsize Companies Can Successfully Go Global

Could your next growth direction be a global strategy? Pamela Harper joins Jim Blasingame once again on The Small Business Advocate radio program with tips to develop a global strategy, either for your business or to support customers who are global.Pamela S Harper

Click on the “listen now” buttons below to hear the interview.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Pam Harper Discusses Reinventing Business by Thinking Strategically about Customer Communities

How do you stay relevant in the Age of the Customer? Pam Harper joined Jim Blasingame once again on The Small Business Advocate radio program on March 22, 2011 to talk about reinventing small businesses by thinking strategically about trends in communicating and developing Pamela S Harpercustomer communities.

Click on the “listen now” buttons below to hear the interview.

Part 1:

Part 2:

The “End of Innovation” is Greatly Exaggerated

Upon reading his 1897 obituary in The New York Journal, Mark Twain (who actually lived until 1910) responded, “the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”  We were reminded once again of this witticism when we read an article describing the “end” of product innovation and the rise of “price” as a way that customers define value.  This is not the first time that the death of innovation has been reported. However, with our combined experience of 40+ years in the innovation game, we have a completely different view of the matter.

Innovation in the creation of new and different products and services is not and never will be dead; however, “innovation” comes in many styles and flavors, some of which will be far more successful than others. That’s why it seems a bit over the top to declare innovation dead simply because what was intended to be a premium product did not live up to expectations. Perhaps it’s fairer to say that when a new product or service cannot distinguish itself from its competitors, it’s more likely to be seen as a commodity, and that commodity purchase decisions are frequently driven by price consideration.

Many factors influence the success of an innovative product or service, but one of the most powerful determinants is whether its intended customers perceive it as not only novel, but also relevant, beneficial, and necessary. It’s important to note that new features, although technically innovative, may not always be seen as sufficiently beneficial to justify a purchase, especially if there are competitors which meet the customer’s needs at a lower price. What really sends a new product or service over the top is its ability to go beyond offering new features that satisfy customer “wants” and offer benefits that customers truly satisfy their needs. This is especially true if the new product/service satisfies a need in a way that is not currently available by other means; in this case, customers will frequently pay a premium price because they perceive premium value.

Of course, it’s not always easy to figure out what customers will see as a “need to have,” as opposed to a “nice to have,” since perception of value is subjective and based on many intangible as well as tangible factors. One thing is for sure — over and over again we’ve seen that simply asking people “what do you want” frequently garners either blank stares or simple rehashes of things with which they’re already familiar. Likewise, the approach of brainstorming new features by isolated developers or project teams, then running concepts past customers for post hoc approval rating also meets with frequent disappointment.  In contrast, innovators who find ways to interact with and observe customers, probing into what they value and what they find difficult in their daily lives, have much greater success in discovering what customers need and will value, even if the customers themselves have trouble articulating it.

A case in point is Apple’s continued success in creating distinction in established as well as emerging markets with products like the iPhone and iPad, which meet consumer needs for high functionality, including some unique capabilities, combined with uncomplicated operation and highly attractive design.  It is notable that customers are standing in line to get their hands on the iPhone 4G, in spite of a huge abundance of other cell phone and smartphone brands. This is in marked contrast to many brands of flatscreen televisions, which rapidly displaced conventional cathode ray tube televisions by meeting consumer needs for lighter, more compact TVs, but then became virtual commodities as manufactures built in more features which did not tie into other customer-valued needs.

As we’ve discussed in our article, The Keys to Unlocking Sustainable Innovation, the ability to tune into a market and home in on consumer needs provides a substantial advantage to companies as they work to cope with a constantly changing marketplace and create new and distinctive value for their customers. Ultimately, customers will pay premium prices for innovation they truly believe is “valuable” to them.  The more that you observe what people actually do in addition to what they say in focus groups, interviews, surveys, etc., the more likely it is that your company’s innovations will strike a chord that resonates with customers and pays dividends as well.

Return to News & Views Overview

Focus on Outcomes to Increase Your Organization’s Agility

Over his years of leading innovation projects, Scott has often been struck by how using a desired outcome to shape a path to success frequently leads to better and faster results than sticking to “tried and true” approaches.

He was reminded of this once again by a recent press release describing Underwriters Laboratories’ New High-Tech Safety Standard IEC 62368-1. What piqued our interest most was that this new standard is designed to apply to a wide range of devices and the current environment of rapid technical change by focusing on performance standards that a device has to meet to demonstrate safety rather than by prescribing specific features or design attributes. By setting the standard in terms of what has to happen rather than by particular features or technical approach, “performance-based testing accommodates future advancements and a faster time to market for products,” according to the VP of UL’s High-Tech Division.

Extending this logic, it makes sense to take an outcome-based approach to leading our organizations as well, since the world is changing so quickly that the most effective technical performance happens when we focus on what needs to happen rather than getting mired in a choreographed set of procedures.

Outcome-focused leadership is fueled by a free flow of both strategic and tactical information and insight up and down the organizational structure which provided workers at all levels a sound context in which they act in real time that will best fit the needs of the organization. The more that employees at every level understand their roles, accountabilities, and responsibilities in the framework of big picture goals for their area, the better they can make decisions about the fastest and most effective way to accomplish their goals.

Moving from “tried and true” leadership based upon what has worked in the past to a performance-based approach founded upon achieving critical objectives can take some getting used to. However, it can yield big dividends when implemented effectively. A first step for leaders who choose this path is to take a moment to assess the content and style of their communication to employees about the organization’s priorities and circumstances. The more consistent and credible your communication is, the more likely your organization will be able to take in and act on the information to achieve the results you want and need.