Facebook’s “App Economy” (i.e. Scrabble, photo sharing, etc.) has users downloading 20 million apps per day. This has created 50,000 jobs and added $12 billion to the U.S. economy (University of Maryland).  That is good news, until you consider that a study in Great Britain found that Facebook costs businesses (in Great Britain) $264 million/day…

The days of being a one-country company are gone. The rapid growth of emerging markets provides more global opportunities. In order to do this, your company must be able to assess:      · New market potential / economies of scale      · Talent availability      · Employee engagement / alignment to a…

Managing the balance between supply and demand is critical to company success. For supply, you must consider how to source your product and there are some value-creating factors that go beyond labor costs.              · First, geographically, can you source and assemble the product close to the final demand in…

Continuously executing strategic initiatives is essential in ensuring corporate competitiveness. The executive team must:      ·  Engage time, resources, attention        ·  Align on strategic initiative expectations      ·  Take accountability for/ownership      ·  Speak with “one voice” on why doing change and what benefits will come from it…instead of change…

Roy Disney said, “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” Yet, for many companies, profits overwhelm principle. Do your employees know your organization’s values? Are they personally aligned? If “yes” to these two, then you should feel confident that your employees will behave in all situations in a manner…

Networking is an important competency, even if not in sales. However, insincere “takers” do not develop effective relationships that derive benefit. Instead, an individual should approach networking with these ideas:      ·       Rapport comes when you connect on what is important about them, not you. If you want to be interesting, be interested.    …

Last year, I toured a US Air Force base. They had moved their flight publication manuals from paper to 18,000 iPads. This transition saved them millions of dollars…in fuel costs, from the additional weight of the manuals. However, when the iPad came out, critics were not sure where the tablet computer fit between laptops and…

In Texas, there is a classic phrase centered on a cowboy’s “ten gallon hat.” However, the largest can actually only hold a few quarts.  This inaccurate phrase is based on a linguistic misunderstanding, as “Galon” is the Spanish word for “braid.”  The native Mexican cowboys – vaqueros – wore as many as ten braided hatbands…

Asia and Africa are urbanizing rapidly (40% live in African cities), as Africa’s economic growth is 2nd only to East Asia. Africa, home to 8 of the world’s 15 fastest-growing economies between 2000 and 2013, is transforming from a continent in need of assistance to a continent of opportunity. Africa has more middle class households…

I visited the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis on their 100-year anniversary. Their value is very clear – protect BEV (Bank, Employees, Valuables) with “above reproach” integrity. Their mandate is to maximize employment and price stability, and they do this through several key activities:      1.     Influence supply of money and credit   …