Business Archives

Culture of Discipline: Good to Great Businesses + Examples

What is a culture of discipline? Why do the most successful companies have one? How do you foster a culture of discipline in your own workplace? A culture of discipline is a workplace culture in which everyone gauges his or her actions according to the company’s common goal. The concept is detailed in Jim Collins’s book Good to Great, in which he argues that truly great companies have a culture of discipline. We’ll cover Jim Collins’s culture of discipline, why it leads to success, and how to develop one.

The “Stop Doing” List: Better for Business Than a To-Do List?

What is a “stop doing” list? Why is it an essential tool for business? A “stop doing” list is a list of things you or your company are not going to do. It’s a counter-intuitive technique for maintaining an organization’s discipline from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great. We’ll cover the benefits of the “stop doing” list and why it can be more effective than a “to-do” list, from Jim Collins’s Good to Great.

Jim Collins Level 5 Leadership: The Ultimate Guide

What is Jim Collins’s “Level 5” leadership concept? Who are “Level 5” leaders? How do you become one? Level 5 Leadership is the leadership of “good-to-great” companies that are led by “Level 5” leaders. These leaders are personally humble but professionally driven executives, and they make the best leaders of companies. We’ll cover what Jim Collins’s Level 5 leadership concept is (from Good to Great), who Level five (Level 5) leaders are, and how to become a Level 5 leader.

Boeing Checklist: How It Saves Lives, What It Can Teach You

In 1935, before the use of the “Boeing checklist,” the Army Air Corps asked airplane manufacturers for a new long-range bomber. Boeing’s Model 299, which exceeded specifications, was favored over models by Martin and Douglas. However, during a flight competition held by the Army in Dayton, Ohio, the Boeing model stalled at 300 feet and crashed, killing two of five crew members. We’ll cover how the Boeing checklist was developed, how it has saved the lives of crew and passengers, and how you can make your own effective checklist.

Complex Problems: How to Solve Them, the Simple Way

Brenda Zimmerman and Sholom Glouberman, who study complexity, defined three kinds of problems: simple, complicated, and complex. What’s the difference? Particularly, what’s the difference between complicated problems and complex problems? A complex problem is a problem that has many variables and for which the outcome is uncertain. An example of a complex problem is raising a child. You learn from raising one child, but the next child may require a different approach. We’ll look at the nature of complex problems, how they differ from complicated problems, and how to solve complex problems in the workplace.

Marketing Message: How to Make It Stand Out…and Catch On

What are the keys to creating a great, “sticky” marketing message? How do you get your marketing messages to spread? We’ll look at how to formulate marketing messages that stick and how to spread them to create an epidemic.

Network Effect: How to Exploit It, and Why It Sometimes Fails

What is the “network effect”? How does it work? What impact does the network effect have on how you spread your fabulous ideas? The network effect is the theory that, in some cases, the number of users of a good or service affects the value of that good or service. According to the network effect, the more users, the higher the value of the service or product. We’ll cover how the network effect works and how we’ve become so overwhelmed by the various networks available to us that we’re starting to become immune to them.

Malcolm Gladwell’s “Connectors”: People Who Spread Ideas

Who are Malcolm Gladwell’s connectors? How are they crucial to the spread of ideas and important for business? Connectors are people who seem to know everyone. You can find Connectors in every walk of life. Connectors are sociable, gregarious, and are naturally skilled at making — and keeping in contact with — friends and acquaintances. The term comes from Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. We’ll cover the role of Tipping Point‘s connectors in business and why they’re crucial to the spread of ideas, services, and products.

Sticky Ideas: Make Your Message Personal + Practical

What are “sticky” ideas? How can you make ideas sticky, so they’re adopted by thousands, or even millions, of people? Sticky ideas are ideas that make an impact and stand out from the white noise of all the other ideas we come across in a day. In marketing, the stickier the idea, the more likely it is to sell a product or service. We’ll cover the principles of sticky ideas and look at some powerful “sticky idea” examples.

Law of the Few: Why Do Influencers Have So Much Power?

What is the Law of the Few? Where does it come from? Why is it important in business, sales, and marketing? The Law of the Few is the idea that certain types of people are especially effective at spreading an infectious idea, product, or behavior. This idea was popularized in Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. We’ll cover examples of the Law of the Few and look at why the messengers matter in the art of marketing.