It is widely recognized that cultural differences between the partners of a merger are one of the most common reasons for failure in mergers. This may happen during pre-merger negotiations or during post-merger integration. Despite all Due Diligence, the two partners of a merger fail to form a new successful unit that is able to […]
Archives for July 2015
The Differentiation Challenge
This is a guest article from Jean-Claude Saade: On any given morning, if we open a newspaper it will be full of advertisements, messages and offers. At 10:00 am, let us try to remember the ads we have seen a couple of hours ago. We might remember something, only sometimes, but most of the time […]
The big shift in strategy
The last decades have brought a dramatic change in the external environment for almost every business. What has been a fairly stable and predictable landscape for a very long time has become a mix of dynamic, ever-changing and unpredictable forces. It is almost common sense now that the traditional approach to strategy, which builds on […]
Al Ries might be dangerous to your brand
In the business world’s hall of fame a special place is reserved for Al Ries. He is without any doubt one of the most prominent gurus of strategic thinking. More than 30 years ago, together with his partner Jack Trout, Ries coined the term “Positioning” – a concept which, to these very days, shapes the […]
How do you get the most out of your strategic planning meeting? Practical advice for preparation and follow-up
Strategic planning meetings are a very controversial thing. They have a bit of a reputation to be just another fancy management trend. I have to admit that I, too, have my doubts if all of these meetings are worth the efforts. My experience tells me that there is much truth in Brian Quinn’s famous quote: […]