In the world today where business results are tabulated in real time, the only constant we can count on is change. When Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, proclaimed, “Toto…I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” she could have very well been talking about business today as the landscape continues to transform at an ever-accelerating…
Read morePurpose Driven Companies
Volume 19 Newsletter 10 It’s often the way that a business is created by the brilliance of a single person. Edison, Pfizer, Ford, Marconi, Jobs, Gates etc. all created businesses based on a single idea. In this traditional view of affairs, the focus of most managers is on execution and efficiency, muting the need for…
Read moreCourse Snapshot
A super SABRE open program in Shanghai. Thank you all for a great week and congratulations Team 2. A strong group of executives from Yili Dairy, JNJ, Unilever, BASF, 3SBio, HengRui Medicine and NoLuma. Thank you everyone for your participation!
Read moreThe Magic in the Middle Kingdom
Volume 19 Newsletter 9 Working hard for something you don’t care about is called “Stress”. Working hard for something you do care about is called “Passion”.[1] Tapping into that passion has a lot to do with how you develop and execute your strategy. It’s called “pushing strategy into the organization” and it works because it…
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Course Snapshot – September 2019
Yet another great course in Shanghai, this time attended by executives from Eisai, Novartis, Sino Pharm, China Resources Pharm, GSK, Abbvie and Aspen. Our SABRE Simulation Centre in Shanghai, China is open to all, an executive education forum that strives to bring world-class training in strategy to executives who are driven to succeed in their careers. Interested in a course? Contact our…
Read moreGoldilocks and the three iPhones
Balancing a portfolio strategy with a segmentation strategy is the core of any business strategy and like Goldilocks – you need to get it “just right”. Segment the market too coarsely, offering too few product choices and watch your market share go as cold as mama bear’s porridge as customers will drift away to competitors…
Read moreShaking Hands with Lincoln
Cleveland, Ohio is ground zero for a region called the Rust Belt. This area is known for its steel and manufacturing production that once dominated the American landscape. Many of these businesses have long since disappeared as manufacturing jobs have emigrated to other centres of cheap labour. In the midst of this troubled region stands…
Read moreBending the Map
Jose Mourinho was one of Europe’s most successful football (soccer) coaches. After starting his career in Porto and Lisbon and winning Portuguese league titles he moved to Barcelona enjoying more success. The English football club, Chelsea, came calling in 2004 and in his inaugural campaign Mourinho brought Chelsea their first title in over 50 years….
Read moreWrinkles in the Botox
A key factor in crafting a new strategic direction is to ensure that the vision and objectives of the strategy are communicated throughout the company. Failure to do so almost always results in mass confusion. A case in point is the Asian division of the makers of the famous wrinkle reducer Botox. Cosmetic medicine…
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