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Five Warning Signs Your Innovation Efforts Are Going Off the Rails
Innovation Digital ArticleFor the past ten years, my colleague, Chris Trimble, and I have studied one critical question: What are the best practices for executing an innovation initiative? Execution is the poor stepchild of the innovation challenge. People love to engage in the hunt for the big ideas, but, let’s face it, without execution capability, an idea […] -
Why I’m Glad I Got Fired
Managing yourself Digital ArticleThis post is part of HBR’s special issue on failure. I came to be an expert on collaboration because Carol Bartz both hired me and fired me — within 18 months. Here’s what happened. A friend of mine, Godfrey Sullivan, asked me to consider running the operations for the Americas unit at Autodesk. Only sheer […] -
Getting IT Right
Technology & Operations Magazine ArticleModern information technology started four decades ago, yet in most major corporations, IT remains an expensive mess. This is partly because the relatively... -
How a U.S. Health Care System Uses 15-Minute Huddles to Keep 23 Hospitals Aligned
Technology & Operations Digital ArticleIntermountain Healthcare holds more than 2,500 huddles every morning. -
Philanthropy’s New Agenda: Creating Value
Corporate social responsibility Magazine ArticleSatisfied with doing good, too few foundations work strategically to do better. -
How to Make Your Network Work for You
Professional networks Digital ArticleMany people turn to networking when they’re looking for a job, but the best time to build your network is before you need something; and the best time to keep that network strong is always. But what is the best way to do that? Simply collecting business cards and attending events may expand your number […] -
5 Simple Rules for Strategy Execution
Strategy Digital ArticleThe more you try to achieve, the less you’ll accomplish. -
The New Rules for Growing Outside Your Core Business
Strategy Digital ArticleThe key is developing the right capabilities. -
Many Strategies Fail Because They’re Not Actually Strategies
Strategy execution Digital ArticleThey’re goals. -
How to Make Sure Agile Teams Can Work Together
Strategy & Execution Digital ArticleCross-functional groups often have different incentives. -
Google and the Myth of Free Time
Innovation Digital ArticleIn my travels, I’m frequently asked to share my thoughts about Google’s stated practice of encouraging individuals to spend 20 percent of their time pursuing innovative projects of their own inspiration. It’s not hard to understand where the question comes from. Many people are told routinely that innovation is everybody’s job. And yet, the pressures […] -
Is Your Company as Strategically Aligned as You Think It Is?
Strategy & Execution Digital ArticleA recent analysis of more than 500 employees across 12 organizations found that actual strategic alignment was two to three times lower than perceived... -
Tipping Point Leadership
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleWhen William Bratton was appointed police commissioner of New York City in 1994, turf wars over jurisdiction and funding were rife, promotion bore little... -
Accelerating Corporate Transformations (Don’t Lose Your Nerve!)
Organizational transformation Magazine ArticleSix mistakes that can derail your company’s attempts to change. -
How to Have an Honest Conversation About Your Business Strategy
Organizational Development Magazine ArticleToo many organizations descend into underperformance because they can't confront the painful gap between their strategy and the reality of their capabilities,... -
Will That Marketplace Succeed?
Technology & Operations Magazine ArticleMarketplaces are the quintessential type of business that can profit from network effects: The greater the number of buyers who join one, the more attractive... -
The Rise of the Chief Performance Officer
Organizational Development Digital ArticleYou may recall the brief run of publicity for a new role in Washington called the Chief Performance Officer. President Obama planned to nominate Nancy... -
Seizing Opportunities When Advantages Don’t Last
Strategy Digital ArticleBe quick and decisive when entering, and exiting, a business. -
Understanding the Stages of Retail
Strategy execution Digital ArticleConsumers do not just wake up and make a purchase. -
When to Let Them Duke It Out
Organizational Development Magazine ArticleTop management teams whose members don't trust one another perform worse when they're handed unilateral decisions than when they slug it out to reach...
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HP-Cisco Alliance (A)
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details In 2002, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco Systems strove to develop their long-standing partnership into a strategic alliance with increasing impact. Critical... -
How Google's "One-Trick Pony" Grew to Become a Dominant Global Enterprise
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details As Google incorporated in 1998, in the midst of dot-com mania, it faced the need to raise growth capital after the 2000 dot-com crash, when VC investments... -
Godiva Japan: Think Local, Scale Global
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details This case tracks Jerome Chouchan's strategies and execution for a successful turn around of Godiva Japan's operations which was experiencing a decline... -
Strategy Execution Module 11: Using Diagnostic and Interactive Control Systems
Strategy & Execution Case Study8.95View Details This module reading introduces diagnostic and interactive control systems. Diagnostic control systems are the management-by-exception systems that managers... -
Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi-Cola (C)
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details Supplements Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi-Cola (A). -
Leading and Creating Resilience in Good and Bad Times (A): Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details When Puneet Chhatwal took over as CEO of Taj Hotels in 2018, he faced an onerous task: improving the financials in a hyper-competitive environment marked... -
The New Carolina Initiative
Global Business Case Study11.95View Details The New Carolina Initiative case explores the process of fostering competitiveness in the subnational region, South Carolina, one of the poorest states... -
Microsoft in Korea
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Microsoft Korea sees a potential opportunity to dramatically improve its subsidiary's performance by actively recruiting and promoting female senior managers... -
Levers of Control: How Managers Use Innovative Control Systems to Drive Strategic Renewal
Finance & Accounting Book45.00View Details Based on a ten-year examination of control systems in over 50 U.S. businesses, this book broadens the definition of control and establishes a critical... -
HP-Cisco Alliance (B)
Organizational Development Case Study5.00View Details Supplements the (A) case. -
Wal-Mart--1997
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details Supplements Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. -
Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University: Where Smart Healthcare Meets the Future
Management Case Study11.95View Details Zhongshan Hospital was one of the best medical institutions in China, maintaining a leading position in domestic rankings thanks to its extensive capabilities.... -
Cross Country Group: A Piece of the Rock (B)
Finance & Accounting Case Study5.00View Details Supplements the (A) case. -
Grupo ABC and Nizan Guanaes's Path from Brazil to the World
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details Internationally recognized Brazilian Nizan Guanaes, co-founder of Grupo ABC, a rapidly growing global advertising firm ranked 18th in 2011, had aspirations... -
The Rise and Demise of Airbus A380
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Set in July 2021, this case talks about the launch and discontinuation of the very large aircraft, A380, by leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The... -
SMA: Micro-Electronic Products Division (C)
Organizational Development Case Study5.00View Details Supplements the (B) case. A rewritten version of an earlier supplement. -
Lincoln Electric: Venturing Abroad
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Lincoln Electric, a 100-year-old manufacturer of welding equipment and consumables based in Cleveland, Ohio, motivates its U.S. employees through a culture... -
Nestle's Globe Program (C): "Globe Day"
Global Business Case Study5.00View Details Supplements the (A) case. -
McKesson
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details McKesson, a large, diversified drug distribution and health care IT company, is considering development of new business offerings to help private practice... -
Florida Power Light Quality Improvement (QI) Story Exercise (A)
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details Florida Power and Light (FPL) has developed a widely acclaimed quality improvement program (QIP). This exercise leads the students through the process...
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Five Warning Signs Your Innovation Efforts Are Going Off the Rails
Innovation Digital ArticleFor the past ten years, my colleague, Chris Trimble, and I have studied one critical question: What are the best practices for executing an innovation initiative? Execution is the poor stepchild of the innovation challenge. People love to engage in the hunt for the big ideas, but, let’s face it, without execution capability, an idea […] -
Why I’m Glad I Got Fired
Managing yourself Digital ArticleThis post is part of HBR’s special issue on failure. I came to be an expert on collaboration because Carol Bartz both hired me and fired me — within 18 months. Here’s what happened. A friend of mine, Godfrey Sullivan, asked me to consider running the operations for the Americas unit at Autodesk. Only sheer […] -
Getting IT Right
Technology & Operations Magazine ArticleModern information technology started four decades ago, yet in most major corporations, IT remains an expensive mess. This is partly because the relatively... -
HP-Cisco Alliance (A)
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details In 2002, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco Systems strove to develop their long-standing partnership into a strategic alliance with increasing impact. Critical... -
How Google's "One-Trick Pony" Grew to Become a Dominant Global Enterprise
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details As Google incorporated in 1998, in the midst of dot-com mania, it faced the need to raise growth capital after the 2000 dot-com crash, when VC investments... -
How a U.S. Health Care System Uses 15-Minute Huddles to Keep 23 Hospitals Aligned
Technology & Operations Digital ArticleIntermountain Healthcare holds more than 2,500 huddles every morning. -
Philanthropy’s New Agenda: Creating Value
Corporate social responsibility Magazine ArticleSatisfied with doing good, too few foundations work strategically to do better. -
How to Make Your Network Work for You
Professional networks Digital ArticleMany people turn to networking when they’re looking for a job, but the best time to build your network is before you need something; and the best time to keep that network strong is always. But what is the best way to do that? Simply collecting business cards and attending events may expand your number […] -
Godiva Japan: Think Local, Scale Global
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details This case tracks Jerome Chouchan's strategies and execution for a successful turn around of Godiva Japan's operations which was experiencing a decline... -
5 Simple Rules for Strategy Execution
Strategy Digital ArticleThe more you try to achieve, the less you’ll accomplish.