BrainZooming

OCTOBER 10, 2016

Going into a strategy meeting today that is sure to be a snoozer ? Even if you are going into the meeting with the same old people , the same old topics, and the same old expectations to just get a strategy done and put into a notebook on a shelf so you can go back to doing what you’ve always been doing, there is hope! In many companies, the list of items on the SWOT analysis does not change all that much from one year to the next. Are you up for changing that?

Strategic Thinking 71

Strategic Thinking Exercises Meeting Groups 71

BrainZooming

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

7 Strategic Thinking Questions When Things Aren’t Working. When things took an unexpected turn the other day, I mentally flew through various strategic thinking questions trying to comes up with ideas to adjust what we were doing. When you have solid planning (maybe even over-planning), good strategic thinking questions to identify ways to adapt, and an appreciation for flexibility, unexpected events become a wonderful opportunity for learning and developing.

Strategic Thinking 74

Strategic Thinking Engagement Tips Collaboration 74

BrainZooming

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

We have been working with a client that had done a lot of strategic thinking about a new initiative. Because of this, the list was worthless for doing what I suspect everyone hoped it would do: provide a starting point for the strategic thinking needed to back into a definition of and explanation for what the new initiative would turn out to be. Those are six starting places to use when you are doing strategic thinking about big lists.

Strategic Thinking 54

Strategic Thinking Groups Brainstorming Engagement 54

BrainZooming

DECEMBER 9, 2015

We facilitated a two-day innovation strategy workshop for an industrial company. The company wants to make significant changes to a major production process. During the innovation strategy discussions, we addressed the production process changes from five different perspectives. In each of the five mini-innovation strategy workshops, we had a group of core team members, plus people familiar with each perspective.

Strategic Thinking 56

Strategic Thinking Exercises Groups Brainstorming 56

BrainZooming

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

On Wednesday, I delivered the closing keynote at the Real Time Marketing Lab with a mini-workshop on using strategic thinking super models to help C-suite executives understand social networking and content marketing strategy. Thursday included working with a local non-profit to develop the strategic foundation for an important initiative, along with developing initial themes from the Carbondale community collaboration workshops.

Collaboration 75

Collaboration Groups Engagement Exercises 75

BrainZooming

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

We have been working with a client that had done a lot of strategic planning exercises about a new initiative. Because of this, the list was worthless for doing what I suspect everyone hoped it would do: provide a starting point for the strategic thinking needed to back into a definition of and explanation for what the new initiative would turn out to be. 6 Ways to Organize Ideas from Strategic Planning Exercises.

Exercises 72

Exercises Groups Brainstorming Engagement 72

BrainZooming

JUNE 29, 2017

Someone downloaded a free Brainzooming strategy eBook, noting his biggest strategy challenge is “how to do a strategic planning process when you are new.” ” That question relates to something we do all the time: walk into a new client in an unfamiliar industry to design and facilitate a strategic planning process. Secure copies of previous plans and strategy documents, and don’t settle for the first things people offer you.

Resources 61

Resources Comparison eBook Brainstorming 61

BrainZooming

JANUARY 22, 2016

The search term “strategic visioning exercises” has been consistently near the top recently for what has bringing people to the Brainzooming website. 14 Articles on Strategic Visioning Exercises. These fourteen articles recap our thinking and recommendations across these three areas. Strategic Planning – All the Strategy Roles You Need. Strategic Thinking Perspectives – Three Strategic Voices to Include on Your Team.

Exercises 66

Exercises Engagement Creativity Groups 66

BrainZooming

MAY 26, 2017

I snapped this picture at Target the other evening because of the intriguing product branding ideas it suggests. 3 Product Branding Ideas to Beg, Borrow, and Steal. Suppose you are in a similar product branding situation. You need to reduce what your brand delivers, but still put sizzle into your product so consumers think it is an attractive option. Diet Coke Strategy: Translating small to sip-sized. From the Brainzooming Product Branding Lab.

Strategy 60

Strategy Strategy Exercises Product Strategy 60

BrainZooming

MARCH 8, 2016

mini-Book, we ask a question about the biggest strategy implementation opportunity or challenge the individual is facing in his or her organization. One reason for asking the question is to identify organizational change topics we can address here. and listed “unfreezing (a) team, moving forward, and preparing for growth” as the strategic task at hand. Creating Organizational Change and Change Management – 4 Strategy Options.

Change 44

Change Strategic Thinking Project Resources 44

BrainZooming

JULY 12, 2016

Reviewing the innovation strategy challenges business executives identified when downloading Brainzooming eBooks , they frequently mention gaining “buy-in” for significant change initiatives. There are so many ways to botch involving employees (and community members, if that’s your audience) in developing and successfully implementing an innovation strategy. Here are five keys we’ve found for successfully engaging employees in innovation strategy.

eBook 48

eBook Engagement Exercises Strategy 48

BrainZooming

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

People frequently complain about how a strategic planning process, whether accidentally or on purpose, is disconnected from employees’ regular duties and priorities. Too often, employees see strategic planning exercises as separate from and unrelated to what they need to do to run a business. With this view, the natural reaction is to avoid the strategic planning process or hope it goes away soon, so someone can return to daily activities full time and get work done.

Exercises 48

Exercises Engagement Strategy Strategy 48

BrainZooming

JANUARY 25, 2016

The thing is, there’s a different way to structure business meetings to help a group come together and collaborate in an innovative, productive way. We create these types of radically different (and beneficial) business meetings for clients , in large part, by bringing together the right people in the right settings with the right structure to allow them to be productive and successful participants. Actively engage more employees in strategy AND implementation success.

Meeting 53

Meeting Tips Engagement Creativity 53

BrainZooming

APRIL 22, 2016

I debuted a presentation on “Results – Creating Strategic Impact,” our mini-book on employee engagement ideas to boost an organization’s strategic thinking. The mini-book focuses on the tremendous value when an organization finds ways to strategically solicit employee insights and perspectives to shape its strategic thinking. Have them share suggestions for things they would experiment with, change, or definitely keep as is.

Engagement 41

Engagement Exercises Creative Thinking Report 41

BrainZooming

JANUARY 24, 2017

10 Keys to Engaging Employees to Improve Strategic Results. Creating Strategic Impact” Leaders need high-impact ways to develop employees that can provide input into strategic planning and then turn it into results. This Brainzooming mini-book, “Results – Creating Strategic Impact” unveils ten proven lessons leaders can use to boost collaboration, meaningful strategic conversations, and results.

Conference 45

Conference Strategy Strategy Engagement 45

BrainZooming

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

We routinely ask those of you downloading Brainzooming strategy and innovation eBooks to share – if you are willing – the opportunities and challenges you are facing at the time. Here are their comments on opportunities and challenges, along with links to Brainzooming posts addressing the strategy and innovation situations they face: People and Organizational Issues. “Internal politics” 3 Strategies for Navigating a Political Environment.

eBook 45

eBook Exercises Strategy Strategy 45

BrainZooming

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

We’re big proponents of the value of bringing together a diverse group of people with varied creative thinking skills for strategic planning workshops within organizations and communities. Often, however, executives jump too quickly to flying everyone into one place for a big strategic planning meeting. When discussing a strategic planning or innovation strategy engagement with a client, we use the graphic below to design our recommended approach.

Collaboration 56

Collaboration Groups Exercises Creative Thinking 56

BrainZooming

AUGUST 11, 2016

What leadership skills are necessary to successfully champion a collaborative strategy ? A client fully immersed in developing and implementing a collaborative strategy asked that question. The task at hand is selecting “champions” from among the organization’s leadership team to move forward with strategic initiatives developed from the input of employees across the organization. 4 Vital Characteristics of Collaborative Strategy Leaders.

Collaboration 47

Collaboration Strategy Strategy Exercises 47

BrainZooming

JANUARY 20, 2016

What is the business strategy behind launching this new program? What opportunities exist to modify the initiative if it makes smart, strategic sense to do so? What implementation steps are set, and which are still open to change? Creating Strategic Impact” Senior executives are looking for employees who are strong collaborators and communicators while being creative and flexible. Increase focus for your team with productive strategy questions everyone can use.

Project 45

Project Engagement Collaboration Product Strategy 45

BrainZooming

JULY 17, 2018

Do your organization’s strategic planning meetings turn into annual snoozefests ? That happens when strategic planning becomes too complex, gets detached from real business issues, or the whole process focuses on trying to complete cumbersome strategy templates. Later you discover that your strategic planning was more successful at producing ZZZZZZZZZZs than $$$$$$$$$s. Yes, strategic planning processes are commonly snoozefests, but they needn’t be!

Exercises 44

Exercises eBook Strategic Thinking Strategy 44

BrainZooming

JANUARY 15, 2016

Sometimes creative thinking challenges come from inside your own head. In many organizations, however, substantial creative thinking challenges come from leaders and cultures that may say they want new thinking, but seem to do everything they can to scuttle creativity. If so, this Brainzooming compilation on various ways to combat creative thinking challenges is for you. Organizational Creative Thinking Challenges. Cultivating Personal Creative Thinking Skills.

Creative Thinking 47

Creative Thinking Creativity Brainstorming Strategic Thinking 47

BrainZooming

MARCH 21, 2016

I’ll be presenting a Brainzooming workshop on internal branding strategy at the Brand Strategy Conference in New York, April 6-8. The workshop, while drawing on material from my Fortune 500 work, springs from multiple conversations at the 2015 Brand Strategy Conference. The discussions focused on when employees should be brought into branding strategy decisions. Download Your Free Internal Branding Strategy eBook!

Conference 44

Conference Engagement Strategy Strategy 44