Hull Consulting http://hullconsulting.com Business Consulting Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:57:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Wisdom, the basis for transforming a good organization to a great one http://hullconsulting.com/wisdom-%e2%80%93-the-basis-for-transforming-a-good-organization-to-a-great-one/ http://hullconsulting.com/wisdom-%e2%80%93-the-basis-for-transforming-a-good-organization-to-a-great-one/#comments Sat, 20 Aug 2011 01:10:35 +0000 Chris http://hullconsulting.com/?p=327 Wisdom: the basis for transforming an organization

Most good organizations have a wealth of intellectual power that they focus on ‘How to do things and do them well.’ But they have a blind spot that stops them from ever achieving greatness.

Great organizations are aware of this blind spot and have a dual focus. Not only do they focus on the ‘how’ but also on the outcome — how they connect and how what they do will impact the world.

The Key questions asked in a great organization are:

“How do we create a course of action to take advantage of a particular competitive strategy that meets or exceeds the needs of my customers?” and “How will it connect with them and others to create a great outcome for all parties?”

This concern for the outcome and its impact is not considered by most good companies and leaders.  As a result they may win with their new strategy but, because they have not anticipated or cared about the overall impact, they may create unintended consequences. It is easy to do something good in one area but, if not reflected upon in advance, it may create something equally bad or worse in another area.

Wisdom, or the application of good judgment and compassion in business, creates a virtuous organizational decision model that will always lead to great outcomes. It is a process. For the great companies it is one that is not only intellectually powerful but also emotionally and socially so. Great companies and great leaders show up physically, intellectually and emotionally. They are fully engaged and as a result wisdom prevails.

Contact us today to learn how wisdom can transform your good organization into a great one.

]]> Wisdom: the basis for transforming an organization

Most good organizations have a wealth of intellectual power that they focus on ‘How to do things and do them well.’ But they have a blind spot that stops them from ever achieving greatness.

Great organizations are aware of this blind spot and have a dual focus. Not only do they focus on the ‘how’ but also on the outcome — how they connect and how what they do will impact the world.

The Key questions asked in a great organization are:

“How do we create a course of action to take advantage of a particular competitive strategy that meets or exceeds the needs of my customers?” and “How will it connect with them and others to create a great outcome for all parties?”

This concern for the outcome and its impact is not considered by most good companies and leaders.  As a result they may win with their new strategy but, because they have not anticipated or cared about the overall impact, they may create unintended consequences. It is easy to do something good in one area but, if not reflected upon in advance, it may create something equally bad or worse in another area.

Wisdom, or the application of good judgment and compassion in business, creates a virtuous organizational decision model that will always lead to great outcomes. It is a process. For the great companies it is one that is not only intellectually powerful but also emotionally and socially so. Great companies and great leaders show up physically, intellectually and emotionally. They are fully engaged and as a result wisdom prevails.

Contact us today to learn how wisdom can transform your good organization into a great one.

]]> http://hullconsulting.com/wisdom-%e2%80%93-the-basis-for-transforming-a-good-organization-to-a-great-one/feed/ 0 J.R. Hull Company Solves the Wicked Problems http://hullconsulting.com/j-r-hull-company-solves-the-wicked-problems/ http://hullconsulting.com/j-r-hull-company-solves-the-wicked-problems/#comments Sat, 02 Jul 2011 01:07:01 +0000 Chris http://hci.christophergreen.com/?p=246 Solving the Wicked Problems in BusinessIn 2008 Neutron, a consulting firm, and Stanford University, surveyed 1,500 top American Executives and asked them to identify the wicked problems that were plaguing their firms. We have taken an approach to solving all of these on a permanent basis. The approach is outlined in our recently published book on Crisis Leadership the Navy Way. The following are the wicked problems and our suggested approach to overcoming them.

Wicked Problem

Solution Approach
Problem:
Balancing long and short term goal demands.		 Solution:
Integrate long and short-term goal demands
Problem:
Predicting returns on innovative concepts.		 Solution:
Create returns on innovative concepts.
Problem:
Innovating at the increasing speed of change.		 Solution:
Setting the increasing speed of change.
Problem:
Winning the war for world class talent.		 Solution:
Create the benchmark for developing world class talent.
Problem:
Combining profitability and social responsibility.		 Solution:
Becoming more profitable by embracing social responsibility
Problem:
Protecting margins in a commoditizing industry.		 Solution:
Increasing margins in a commoditizing industry.
Problem:
Multiplying success by collaborating across silos.		 Solution:
Create a strategy for multiplying success by collaborating across silos.
Problem:
Finding unclaimed yet profitable market space.		 Solution:
Create a process for finding unclaimed yet profitable market space.
Problem:
Addressing the challenge of eco sustainability.		 Solution:
Create an investment strategy for eco sustainability.
Problem:
Aligning strategy with customer experience.		 Solution:
Creating customer experience as a result of effective strategy.

 

All of these solution pathways are obvious once one realizes that the way the issue is posed is critical to the development of a potential solution. It is in the re-framing of the issue that lays the seeds for a solution.

Individuals and companies usually do not spend enough time thinking at this stage and launch into action. This leads to partial solutions, temporary solutions and unintended consequences. All of these are bad and can be worse than the original issue.

The solution is to slow down and understand that the way a problem or opportunity is posed is CRITICAL to the development of any value based action.

]]> Solving the Wicked Problems in BusinessIn 2008 Neutron, a consulting firm, and Stanford University, surveyed 1,500 top American Executives and asked them to identify the wicked problems that were plaguing their firms. We have taken an approach to solving all of these on a permanent basis. The approach is outlined in our recently published book on Crisis Leadership the Navy Way. The following are the wicked problems and our suggested approach to overcoming them.

Wicked Problem

Solution Approach
Problem:
Balancing long and short term goal demands.		 Solution:
Integrate long and short-term goal demands
Problem:
Predicting returns on innovative concepts.		 Solution:
Create returns on innovative concepts.
Problem:
Innovating at the increasing speed of change.		 Solution:
Setting the increasing speed of change.
Problem:
Winning the war for world class talent.		 Solution:
Create the benchmark for developing world class talent.
Problem:
Combining profitability and social responsibility.		 Solution:
Becoming more profitable by embracing social responsibility
Problem:
Protecting margins in a commoditizing industry.		 Solution:
Increasing margins in a commoditizing industry.
Problem:
Multiplying success by collaborating across silos.		 Solution:
Create a strategy for multiplying success by collaborating across silos.
Problem:
Finding unclaimed yet profitable market space.		 Solution:
Create a process for finding unclaimed yet profitable market space.
Problem:
Addressing the challenge of eco sustainability.		 Solution:
Create an investment strategy for eco sustainability.
Problem:
Aligning strategy with customer experience.		 Solution:
Creating customer experience as a result of effective strategy.

 

All of these solution pathways are obvious once one realizes that the way the issue is posed is critical to the development of a potential solution. It is in the re-framing of the issue that lays the seeds for a solution.

Individuals and companies usually do not spend enough time thinking at this stage and launch into action. This leads to partial solutions, temporary solutions and unintended consequences. All of these are bad and can be worse than the original issue.

The solution is to slow down and understand that the way a problem or opportunity is posed is CRITICAL to the development of any value based action.

]]> http://hullconsulting.com/j-r-hull-company-solves-the-wicked-problems/feed/ 0 The Portfolio Management Approach to Business Transformation http://hullconsulting.com/the-portfolio-management-approach-to-business-tranformation/ http://hullconsulting.com/the-portfolio-management-approach-to-business-tranformation/#comments Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:42:00 +0000 Chris http://hci.christophergreen.com/?p=146 One point of view that may allow a business owner to move forward with their business is to view the business as a portfolio of assets. The portfolio becomes a metaphor for the business itself. Instead of considering the employees as Human Resources the better approach is to consider them as assets.

Resources are for the most part consistent and self similar. Assets vary and some may be under-performing or underutilized. Business processes and systems are assets and if they are unique they have a much greater value.

Beyond these assets the firm has the more traditional assets of equipment and technology. It may also have some proprietary assets such as patents and trademarks.

All of these add up to value that is then modified by supply and demand in the market place. So try to view your business as a portfolio and you may discover new insights that can lead to transformation and progress.

]]> One point of view that may allow a business owner to move forward with their business is to view the business as a portfolio of assets. The portfolio becomes a metaphor for the business itself. Instead of considering the employees as Human Resources the better approach is to consider them as assets.

Resources are for the most part consistent and self similar. Assets vary and some may be under-performing or underutilized. Business processes and systems are assets and if they are unique they have a much greater value.

Beyond these assets the firm has the more traditional assets of equipment and technology. It may also have some proprietary assets such as patents and trademarks.

All of these add up to value that is then modified by supply and demand in the market place. So try to view your business as a portfolio and you may discover new insights that can lead to transformation and progress.

]]> http://hullconsulting.com/the-portfolio-management-approach-to-business-tranformation/feed/ 0