Our Thoughts
Ideas that change businesses, industries, and people
Amazon and Plastic Straws: How Staggering Statistics Can Change Behavior
A Bloomberg article published earlier this year included a truly staggering statistic: $0.44 out of every dollar spent online is spent at Amazon. Nearly half of every dollar spent online. Online! The entire internet! Nearly half of every dollar spent on the entire...
Experienced Leader Dave Allston Joins Business Transformation Experts at Thought Ensemble
Dave Allston, senior executive based in Dallas, is joining as Managing Partner of fast-growing business and technology transformation consultancy Thought Ensemble. In his new role, Dave will focus on expanding Thought Ensemble’s Dallas market presence, bringing...
You’ll Get the Best Feedback If You Ask for It, Act on It, and Ask Again
Feedback is a critical part of self-improvement, whether it be in your personal, professional, or metaphysical life. It’s one of the key ways we learn and grow. But, it can also be incredibly detrimental if not given or received in the proper manner. This might...
Back to School and Work
Anyone else notice something different in the air at the office? It might be the first whiffs of the famous/infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte filling the air, or it might be the buzz of kinetic energy signaling that we have just started to enter the most productive few...
How Many Architects Does It Take to Change a Business? Why Business Architects Are Critical to Your Business Surviving a World of Disruption
Now, you may be asking yourself, “I already have an Enterprise Architect on the team, isn’t that the same thing as a Business Architect?” The answer is a resounding, “Kinda…but not really!” An Enterprise Architect is the same thing as a Business Architect in the way...
The Six Infinity Stones of Business Transformation
[WARNING: Infinity War spoilers ahead] In the world of Marvel, having all six of the Infinity Stones (or Gems) can enable someone like Thanos to extinguish half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. In the world of business transformation, having all...
It’s Official: You Can No Longer Avoid Digital Transformation
It’s official. You can no longer avoid digital transformation. It’s actually probably been official for some time now, but when two fast food restaurant chains who make their money selling tangible products produced in manufacturing facilities to customers inside of...
Am I Really That Reliant on… Slack?
I remember the day a couple years back when I was working at home and had no power but still had internet. It was a trade I was very willing to make - I am very aware of how reliant I am on my internet connectivity. This morning, Slack's connectivity has been spotty....
How Golf Made Me Rethink Work
For years, people have told me I need a hobby. (I guess building a company and raising a couple of kids doesn’t count). Regardless, I’m happy to report that I finally have one: I am absolutely obsessed with my golf game. And those people were right – it is good for...
Leading Yourself to Better Remote Meetings
Name a common work activity that makes you feel uncomfortable. Was it leading meetings? If so, you’re not alone; many people find that leading meetings can be quite stressful. You might think, then, that remote meetings, with their web conferencing and dial-in lines,...
Business Transformation’s Parallel Universe
Early in my career, soon after I switched roles from software development to technology strategy, I worked quite a bit on business cases and strategic plans related to technology investments. I wondered why some of the best ideas, with the best-written business cases,...
The Psychological Pitfalls of Transformational Change
If you want your business to prosper long-term, history (and evolution) have taught us that you must (at critical points in time) transform in order to survive or risk wasting away into the lowly dust that the newer, more adept empires will build themselves upon. In...
“What Do You Actually Do Here?”
As a consultant, the question, “What do you actually do here?” comes up quite often. In answering this question, I’ve realized that my response has a slightly different flavor almost every time. When you work in consulting, it’s normal to jump from project to project;...
PowerPointers Episode 2 – Formatting
Last year, I wrote about why you shouldn't blame PowerPoint for your bad presentations. As part of my continued effort to help you make your presentations better, I've just finished Episode 2 of a ~6ish episode series I created with the intent of helping...
KonMari Your Business Strategy
If you were alive in 2014, then it’s likely you have heard at least some of the mania surrounding one of Time’s “100 most influential people,” Marie Kondo, and her New York Times best-selling book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, a book about decluttering your...
Great Thoughts Come from a Healthy Culture
Before I begin, I must admit some bias in writing this. I am a HUGE Amy Cuddy fan. I love her TED talk, and her book Presence is even better. I believe some of her research and writing on gender differences in body language are game changing. And, they’ve personally...
Re-Branding the Most Crucial Role for Success: the Middle Manager
Take a moment and do a simple Internet search for “Middle Manager.” The following less-than-inspirational headlines may appear in the results: “Why Middle Management Is So Unhappy” “How Middle Managers Can Lead More and Do Less” “Why Being a Middle Manager Is So...
Could Your Watch Wear You Out?
Woo-woo warning: this may challenge some readers’ belief systems. A couple months ago, I started seeing a holistic doctor to help me recover from a persistent bug and to build up my immunity and strength. Part of what she does is nutritional response testing, which...
How to Remain Diligent with a Less-Than-Stellar Memory
I have never had a great memory. That is, except for a few random and pointless things that I can recall with great clarity for no particular reason. For example, I clearly remember when I was 12 my sister’s boyfriend telling me that smart people pressed “9-0” on the...
Socratic Selling
Socrates, as we all know, was a famous classical Greek philosopher who lived over 2,000 years ago. Primarily through the writings of Plato we have learned about his contributions to how we think about ethics, good vs. bad, and justice. But more specifically, he...
PowerPointers Episode 1 – Making Selections
Back in May I wrote about why you shouldn't blame PowerPoint for your bad presentations, so, in an effort to help you make your presentations better, I'm releasing Episode 1 of a ~6ish episode series I created with the intent of helping you unleash the power of...
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