A leader’s relationship with and support to team members obviously matters hugely. For academics the mechanical sounding “leader–member exchange" (LMX) has provided a focus for studying the drivers and benefits of a high quality relationship / connection that is characterised by trust, liking, and mutual respect. Better relationships will mean team members are more receptive... Continue Reading →
I had the good luck to mentor Krisztina, and Sara - two very enterprising students who took part in the University of East Anglia's Change Makers competition. Participation enabled them to develop and pitch their social enterprise NourishED promising wider access to affordable and nutritious meals. Up for grabs was a competition prize award and... Continue Reading →
It is always good to see a brand that knows its distinctive assets. Magnum has for some time emphasised the chocolate cracking start of the Magnum pleasure journey in communication. It has also ensured the signature experience extends across flavours and formats. New visuals that place products on a cracked surface make a short sensory... Continue Reading →
The power of pairs More than a decade ago, one of my clients redesigned their organisation to support more innovation-led growth. A key part of this transformation was ensuring projects were led by a partnership of two innovation directors or managers—one focused on technical challenges and the other on customer adoption. This combination of expertise... Continue Reading →
Robots want to help us stay connected. The Dawn Café where customers mix with robot staff suggests future possibilities for social care. Each of the robots is a physical avatar controlled by a human via phone, tablet or eye-tracking device from their own home or even hospital. Creator Kentaro Yoshifuji explains his innovation as “teleportation.” Those losing... Continue Reading →
Landing the evidence needed to progress an innovation is a big challenge for the best of innovation teams. Stakeholders tend to seek a level of certainty that won't be possible without time, trial and error. Financial projections face benchmarks based on established products or services. Isolating the impact of changes can be particularly difficult where... Continue Reading →
Constructive dissent is critical for innovation and problem-solving. The generation of potential solutions needs to be followed by a critical evaluation of assumptions and challenge to determine the best choices. This requires a shared curiosity in available information and respectful consideration of conflicting viewpoints. The prize is the discovery of important insights, more informed decision-making... Continue Reading →
Kendrick Lamar has won 22 Grammys, a Pulitzer prize, achieved 9 billion streams on Spotify last year and will have reached a global audience of 150 million with his Super Bowl half-time show. In my HUMBLE opinion, Kendrick must offer some brand storytelling inspiration. (If you are Hip-Hop rejector do feel free to retreat now).... Continue Reading →
Any self-respecting brand manager will know a stretch to a new category or segment needs to be consistent with the brand's values and identity to prevent consumer disconnect and support success. The fabled* Colgate frozen lasagne story continues to remind brand managers not to overlook brand fit. Stretch success also depends on the business model... Continue Reading →
My favourite workshop in 2024 combined 10 public sector teams in a conversation on raising their collective performance. Following scene setting on organisational vision and the attributes of high performing teams the session moved to collaborative action. The first step involved reflection on strengths, successes and areas to improve. With these shared, each team was... Continue Reading →
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