AI. Brilliant but flawed - just like humans
I was recently reminded of the Lassonde Curve which illustrates the value shift during the lifecycle of a mineral discovery. Coincidentally, whilst working on a consulting project in biotech currently, I was made aware of a similar curve in biotech which describes the phenomenon of escaping the valley of death.
35 Innovators Under 35 - MIT Technology Review
Every year, MIT Technology Review “takes a look at not just where technology is now, but where it’s going and who’s taking it there”. Their Change Issue gives us a glimpse into the future with their ’35 Innovators under 35’ feature.
Fintech: a classic Christensen disruption
Is disruption the most abused term in modern business parlance? Perhaps the best line on disruption belongs to Peter Thiel, a billionaire tech entrepreneur:“Disruption has transmogrified itself into a self-congratulatory buzzword for anything new and trendy”.
The COVID accelerator - what sticks?
I recently posted a link to an article from Adam Grant, a leading organisational psychologist and Professor at Wharton University. He highlighted research which indicated that people need to be in the office about 2.5 days per week to maintain a sense of connection and identification with an organisation.
Understanding VUCA: a strategist's guide
In the world of strategy these days, people often toss around the acronym #VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity. But can you tell the difference between each?
What driving fast cars can teach you about strategy…
In an earlier life, I designed a leadership development program which gave a group of leaders the opportunity to drive high-performance vehicles at speed through a mini slalom course (see below). The challenge was to drive the circuit as fast as possible.
Opening minds... thinking differently
Strategy is ultimately an expression of collective mental models. To create a strategy that is more than ‘mere incrementalism ’, we must therefore create new mental models. Most major strategic shifts reflect a fundamental shift in the framing of the strategic context.
Shifting political trendlines... an 'epochal shift' or mere turbulence?
We may be witnessing an epochal shift in the socio-political context of advanced Western economies. Brexit surprised; Trump shocked. But are these simply expressions of a broader shift in society, government and geopolitics?
VUCA translated... welcome to the world of scenarios
Is the world more turbulent than it used to be? Not everyone agrees, but an extract from a major strategy textbook suggests the business environment is more turbulent.
It's official: the new economy won
Did you miss it? In the run-up to year-end, the five largest public companies in the US by market cap were the masters of the ‘digital economy ‘. Can you guess their names?
Brexit surprised. Trump shocked. A strategist’s view
If you are not now launching a major strategic review incorporating scenario planning, you will be grossly ill-prepared for what may unfold over the next 5-10 years. But let’s start at the beginning.
Let's talk productivity and technology management...
Productivity is back on the agenda after a decade languishing behind growth. The Government began telling industry to get its house in order. Industry responded by telling government what it needs to do. Telling others to change seems simpler than changing ourselves. But it is much less effective.
The cost of presumptions - international case studies
At their most dangerous presumptions are assumptions that are accepted as a ‘social fact’. This makes them more dangerous than assumptions. Assumptions should be explicitly identified and can be tested. But we remain blind to our own presumptions.
Avoiding grey rhinos... strategic renewal and the status quo trap
As organisations shake off the New Year’s cobwebs, many begin to think about ‘strategy’. Perhaps begin by asking: where are we on the strategy life cycle curve? Different phases of the strategy life cycle present different challenges.
Opening Minds - Lessons from Cirque du Soleil
A client briefing me recently ahead of a strategy forum cautioned that they were a tough audience. Exposed to an array of corporate leadership development programs over the years, with a lot of capability in their respective fields, the challenge was to fully engage them in the search for fresh possibilities.
Can you see the 'Disruptive Edge' from where you sit?
‘Step away from the edge’ might be good advice for the young, but it could be fatal advice for businesses. Economics has long held that 'things are driven by what happens at the margin, not at the core'. This is a central principle in Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation.
Understanding the disruption engine: what can I do?
In Zero to One, Peter Thiel decried Silicon Valley’s obsession with disruption, declaring “disruption has transmogrified itself into a self-congratulatory buzzword for anything new and trendy”. He’s not alone.
Are you ready for the next big shift?
Imagine China’s growth rate fell to 3.9% per annum within the next 12 months. I suspect you can’t. Ridiculous, right? Well, actually, no, but more on that later.
Against the flow - removing robots
In a reversal of an increasing trend toward use of robotics as a productivity tool in the auto industry over the last two decades, Toyota has deliberately displaced robots to reinstall humans.