As a Managing Director Anne-Claire oversaw many international projects in varied sectors, such as Consumer Goods, Textiles, Automotive. In this video she talks about the Management of Business Units
Business Management Archive
How up to date is your Business Decision Making Process?
It’s one of the most stresssfull factors in Business: To make a decision that will impact your business and the people that work in it. So, how can you Business Decision Making Process?
In this issue we look at this question very closely:
Our iCEO Colin Thompson investigates the most common mistakes when setting up a Business Case Analysis. Then Phanish Puranam, a Roland Berger Chair Professor of Strategy & Organisation Design at INSEAD demystifies Corporate Strategy Decision Making in the INSEAD Knowledge Video “Corporate Strategy Decision Making, Demystified”. Followed by iCEO Joe Orlando’s Expert File, which investigates the flaws of Business Intelligence and how you can avoid them.
A related topic brings you the Expert File of iCEO Jorge Zazueta: Once you have come to a decision – how can you ensure its successful execution?
Finally our iCEO Thomas Stephen explains in the Executive Video of the month, how he lead the internal restructure of operations to enable a company to become the global leader in its sector.
The Epitaph of Managerialism
My mentor Dr Jules Goddard at the LBS MLab presented the following paper that I thought worth sharing with you.
He reminds us that reducing costs is only a means to an end, not a strategy.
The art of management is to manage a business in such a way that the need for operational excellence, continuous improvement, “right first time”, cost leadership, process redesign, corporate renewal, cultural change, charismatic leadership, employee engagement and financial incentives is redundant; and the declared pursuit of these objectives counts as a clear admission of failure.
Interim Manager, CEO – USA – Start Up
A small software US start-up grows internationally in 50 countries
Founder and CEO of a high tech company that later merged with largest cable TV customer care and billing company.
Major achievement: Sold systems in over 50 countries. Increased revenue at a rate of 50% annually. Top Executive, Interim management and international consulting expert in software sector. Check out the full profile of this Interim Manager
Good Decisions – Bad Situations
Good Decisions – Bad Situations: Isn’t the point of a good decision that it will lead to a good situation?
Written by Olivier Pujol
Good decisions are not sufficient to avoid bad situations. Consultants with experience and hindsight can help executives make the right decisions and implement
them for success.
“Success is 51% good decisions versus 51% bad decisions”. But actually, when making the “post mortem” analysis of a failure, few business decisions can be
singled out as “bad”. Some weaknesses in the decision processes may explain how a rationally “good” decision may not be “right”. And these weaknesses
can be overcome.
Top Executive File: Start a Business
“Boot strapping” a business without external funding
Written by Peter Dickenson
“Getting Started
You can’t always choose your own starting point when you start a business. Sometimes it is good luck or misfortune that finds you making that life changing decision to start a business.
Even in more favourable times, finding somebody to back your venture was difficult and these days it is even harder.
Thus one route to starting a business with minimal investment is to find a niche in the local market place, which will allow you to generate a revenue stream. The market needs to be one that you want to grow into, based on your expertise or knowledge and growth possibilities if you had the investment. This is known as “boot strapping” a business. In effect pulling itself up by its boot straps. Your goal then is to build contacts, market and industry knowledge and a business system that generates cash.
Top Executive File: Plan for Success
22 Point Plan for Success
written by Colin Thompson
“Times are generally tough for most businesses.
Also, the reasons for the demise of companies was probably weak management, lack of management accountancy information, lack of adequate response to change, over trading i.e. the BIG project and high gearing plus normal business hazards and investors pumping money in without understanding the changing market place. Industry requires excellent business models developed by skilled and experienced people who understand how to operate a successful company. If companies take on board excellent successful business people with knowledge, then Industry would be in a better position. Lower levels of demand and pressures on cash flows are particular concerns. I would like to share with you my ’22 – point plan for success’…”
Top Executive File: Retention of the Customer
Retention of the customer by Dr. Colin Thompson
… Great business success is actually about one fundamental skill. It doesn’t sound a very exciting skill so the business motivators do not talk about it much. But when you master it, you will become wealthy. Simple as that. The skill is getting and keeping customers. If you want to be five times more successful than you are now – you need five times more of the right customers. How do you make this happen?
Dr. Colin Thompson has over 30 years experience as a Managing Director. His career to date has given him a complete exposure to business management and management of people. He has wide experience in PLC and private companies in top level management of increasing sales/profit. Also, turnaround and re-engineering experience linked to new corporate identities and successful mergers/take-overs, plus, developed many business models to increase profitability.
Top Executive File: Strategies for Companies?
Are there higher strategies for companies?
The new Top Executive File , written by Dermott Reilly, looks at the implication of the development of clean technologies on company strategies.
Companies and organizations globally are striving to increase profit and shareholder value in times of phenomenal socio-economic change and political financial upheaval. Business is never easy and when times are tough the consensus often is to focus on core competencies, ruthlessly cutting costs, doing more with less. Perspectives can be reduced in recessionary periods as companies focus to survive. However, perspectives, whilst powerful are culturally determined and open to influence, redirection and positive change. Business management in all companies must embrace the wider perspective to benefit from the compelling value available across the socio-technical horizon. So what are the wider perspectives?
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