BLOGS

Differentiation

Overcoming the Challenge of Making Trade-offs

Every organization struggles to make trade-offs. Naturally, it is hard to say no to good opportunities. However, intuitively we know that we can’t be everything to everybody, that our resources are limited, and that not everything will fit onto our work plate. Fortunately, many businesses recognize the need for trade-offs

Evaluate and Diagnose Problems in Your Matrix Organization

Although matrix organizations are not new, they can remain puzzling even to the most seasoned executives. How can you recognize matrix driven issues when you, as an executive, are embroiled in the matrix itself? How can you evaluate the effectiveness of a matrix structure? Rather than lump all the common

Matrix Structure

Do I Need a Matrix Structure?

Whether we like it or not, today’s marketplace is increasingly more complex.  As a result, many organizations have turned to a matrix structure to help mitigate the complexities. However, most organizations fail to fully utilize a matrix and instead it becomes little more than a few dotted-line reporting relationships sprinkled

Change Partner

A Key Ingredient to Change Transformation Success: A Great Change Partner

What is one of the most important ingredients in helping leaders guide their organizations through a change transformation? Having a trusted change partner to act as a guide, advisor, and sounding board along the way. But, what makes a good change partner? What are the five key to choosing the right change partner?

Matrix Organization

Matrix Organization Design: How to Get the Most Out of It

When people talk about matrix organizations, different ideas come to mind.  In the most straightforward sense, a matrix organization is when one individual formally reports to two or more managers (solid and dotted lines). We might also say that a matrix is one form (there are many) of organizational linking

Organization Strategy

Do Best Practices Drive Organization Strategy?

Ever gone to a conference and heard stories from other great organizations about the innovative practices they are implementing?  Ever come away from those conferences thinking, “How can I help our organization become an industry leader in such-and-such a practice?”  If you have experienced these thoughts, you are not alone

platform business model

How to Pivot Your Business Model to Create and Deliver a Platform

Companies that successfully offer well-established platforms to their customers (like Apple, Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon) continue to receive a lot of attention and with good reason. Their platform business models have allowed them to gain greater market share, establish an ecosystem of goods/services, and offer differentiated experiences to their customers.

Digital Transformation

Designing a Digital Transformation to Create True Organizational Value

Digital transformation is receiving a lot of press as businesses relentlessly redefine how they deliver value and relate with customers.  The question that needs to be asked is, “How will digital transformation produce value and differentiation for my organization? In the midst of increased digital transformation “noise,” strategic and organization

Organization Design

Are You Truly Co-Creating Your Organization Design?

Leveraging your executive team to co-create or co-design your organization is an organization design best practice. It creates buy-in from the organization, facilitates change management efforts, helps eliminate blind spots in the design, and ultimately creates a more competitive organization. For most executives and leaders that we work with, they