BLOG OF ADAM HARTUNG
5 Reasons You Should NOT buy GM stock – General Motors
Summary: GM is replacing its CEO and preparing to sell equity to the public Don't buy the stock. GM will not be a market winner "GM reports $1.3 billion in Q2 profits, Preps for Stock Sale" is the Detroit News headline. So, are you interested in buying...
Creating the “Best of Times” – Apple, Cisco, Virgin
Summary: Your view of today will be determined by your future success Conventional wisdom - often called "best practices" - will lead businesses to cut costs in today's economy, leading to a vicious cycle of reductions and value destruction. "Best Practice"...
Sour Lemons, or Lemonade? – Playboy, Singer
"Playboy's Circulation drops 34%" is the Chicago Tribune headline. Is anyone surprised? If ever there was a brand, and business, that was out of step with current markets it has to be Playboy. That the business still exists is a wonder. But...
It’s About Growth, Stupid – Sara Lee, Alcoa, Virgin
Nearly 20 years ago the Clinton campaign inspired itself with the mantra "It's the Economy, Stupid." Their goal was to remind everyone that the economy was critical to the health of a nation, and the economy hadn't been doing so well. Now we could retread...
Better get an outside opinion – Tribune Corporation, Barnes & Noble, Harley Davidson
"Blame Piles Up in Tribune Cos. 2007 Buyout" is the Chicago Tribune headline. After months of research the bankruptcy judge has released a court ordered report on the transaction that left Tribune Corporation insolvent. Apparently, lots of people were...
Are you a player, or a spectator? – Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Intel
Things are changing pretty fast in the "tech" world. PCs are losing market share to fast growing platforms like smartphones and tablets. New competitors are becoming a lot stronger as data and applications move from corporate servers and laptops/desktops...
Journalism 2020 Revisited – Amazon, Apple, NewsCorp, Newspapers, Books
Things are tough for the printed word these days. Not for writing, or demand for information. That is doing great - with more volume than ever! But the issue is "printed" material. Clearly, the format is changing. But are business leaders...
The Yin & Yang of Operational Excellence & Innovation
I'm pleased today to post another guest blog - written by Charles Searight of Vector Growth Partners. Charles offers a great viewpoint on a common issue - how to balance the needs of running a good business with implementing innovation. I hope you enjoy...
Defend & Extend leads to mistakes and missed opportunities – Microsoft
This week Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer said the company would get out a tablet soon, and that it would be a big success. Do you believe him? You have good reason to be doubtful. When it comes to new products, Microsoft has been a big dud under his...
Stuck in old products – Nokia, Apple, Smartphones
Be very, very good at what you do. Once that was the mantra for business success. In Search of Excellence sold millions of copies because it brought forward the idea that companies which excelled at identifying and delivering customer value sold more and...
Stop Focusing on Your Core – Forbes, Apple, Google
Leadership Stop Focusing On Your Core BusinessIt has become the fast track to oblivion."Where Have All the Flowers Gone" was a 1960s antiwar hit for Peter, Paul and Mary. The "flowers" meant soldiers dying in Vietnam. These days we might be tempted to sing, "Where...
Look to New Markets to Grow- RIM, Apple, Google, Kraft
"Blackberry's Era May Be Ending" is the New York Times title on a Reuter's story about the pioneering leader in smartphones. That RIM is in trouble is undoubtedly true - so much so it will not likely survive as a stand-alone company, if it survives at all! ...
Use scenarios to adopt Tablets – Apple, Cisco, HP, Microsoft
Are you prepared to implement tablets in your business? More specifically, how have you adjusted your hardware spending plans, your software purchase plans, your IT development plans, your field technology deployment plans and your staffing plans to spend less...
Top 10 Vendor Lies – CIO and Network World magazines
"You are Not Your Vendor" is the title of my most recent column published in CIO magazine and Network World magazine. You'll read in the article why it is critical you never rely too heavily on a vendor. As much as we'd like to say we're "partners,"...
Successful Entrepreneurs Avoid Lock-in – Ignore Collins “4 New Realities”, be Tasty Catering
"I Failed Fast and Completely Re-invented My Company" is the BNET.com article title. Pixability.com of Cambridge, Mass. started out as a video conversion and editing business for families. Unfortunately, it cost more than most families could afford. ...
End of the Road – Sara Lee, BP
According to Crain's Chicago Business "Sara Lee Looks to Sell Bread Business." Large investors seem to support the sale, hoping this will expedite a take-over by a larger consumer goods company or a privage equity firm. They hope the sale of this laggard company...
Jumping the Curve and D&E – Apple iPhone 4, iPad, Google Android
For good reason, a lot of controversy is swirling around Apple's iPhone 4 problems. With Consumer Reports saying the product's antenna is defective, and the company admitting there's a software glitch regarding signal strength reporting, Apple's newest...
Go to Jail? – RICO, BP, Enron, Worldcom
What do Tony Hayward, Jeff Skilling and Bernard Ebbers possibly have in common? They all might end up convicted felons. While this may sound ridiculous, and very, very scary to corporate CEOs, nobody expected Skilling, the CEO of Enron, or Ebbers, the CEO...
Doubling Innovation Success with White Space – Nielsen, Consumer Products, Apple, Google
"To Boost Innovation Just Keep the Boss Away" titles the BQF Innovation website. Citing data from The Nielsen Company's study of 30 large consumer products companies showed that companies with White Space Teams (what they call Blue Sky) teams are far more...
20 Phrases That Kill Innovation – BloggingInnovation.com describes Lock-in
All organizations must move into new markets with new customers buying new solutions. It's inevitable. Over time, all product markets shift to new solutions. Given this inevitability, isn't it amazing how few make the shift? BloggingInnovation.com...
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