Designing for Emergence

The world around us is becoming more complex, it is almost accelerating away from us. Being able to plan in this ever evolving world is becoming even more difficult as time passes.  New technology, and approaches almost appear daily, which makes planning for these events, almost impossible. Linear approaches to design are no longer the Read More

Enterprise Agile: One Size Does Not Fit All

Guest post by Tim Mattix It’s no surprise that agile development software methods are quickly claiming ground over waterfall methods.  The linear waterfall model and its sequential design process run counter to the reality that customers often don’t know exactly what they want up-front; rather, they tend to fine-tune their requirements through ongoing two-way interactions during the life cycle of the project. On the other hand, the evolutionary development approach inherent in agile gives designers […]

Taking the right path

In 2013 we saw the rise, and in some cases the rebirth of analytics and were told of the importance of using data to get closer to our customers. The growth of social media and the birth of the omni channel has meant that understanding your channels and the related data is going to be Read More

Making Enterprise Apps Mindful

Guest post by Lindsey Jarrell As a CIO, you’re probably familiar with the term workflow, but what about mindflow? Mindflows are the steps we undergo to sift through information and arrive at a difficult decision. Comparing, evaluating, and summarizing leads us down a twisting, turning journey toward a final outcome. In the past, it’s been difficult to design enterprise apps that can support knowledge workers in this convoluted process. Now, that’s changing. We’ve spent years […]

Alignment – Mobility

Positioning one’s own personal brand is something that may not come naturally to some folks. One may think that only applies to marketing types. But it doesn’t. Its important to demonstrate a sense of flexibility and awareness to one’s contirbutions within organizations. Personally, I think a bit of variety in one’s career is beneficial and […]

What is a Digital Disruptor?

In the short time it takes to develop an app, digital disruptors can force well-established companies to change the way they do business. Even worse, they can put them out of business all together. Who are these digital disruptors? How do they think? What drives them? How do they pull off the coups they do? Business and technology executives would be wise to dive inside the minds of digital disruptors to anticipate threats to their […]

Shoshin – The Beginner’s Mind and Exercise

Over the last 4-6 weeks I’ve been able to establish some kind of an exercise routine in my life. Its nothing earth-shattering. I’m up early first thing in the morning at my hotel and spend 20-30 minutes either on the treadmill or the elliptical. I’m usually jamming to the rougher Rdio playlists I have on […]

Its Not What You Sell, Its What You Believe – Bill Taylor – Harvard Business Review

“Cook did not respond with a detailed review of the products Apple made or the retail environments in which it sold them. Instead, he offered an impromptu, unscripted statement of what he and everyone at Apple believed — “as if reciting a creed he had learned as a child” in Sunday School.

“We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products, and thats not changing,” Cook declared.”We believe in the simple not the complex…We believe in saying no to thousands of products, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us,” he added.

“We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in ways other cannot…And I think that regardless of who is in what job those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well,” he concluded.Its not what you sell its what you believe.”

“In a provocative and saucy book, It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For, Spence explains the unique beliefs behind many of the one-of-a-kind organizations he has studied or worked with over the years, from BMW to Whole Foods Market to Southwest Airlines. Sure, these and other organizations are built around strong business models, stellar products and services, and (of course) clever advertising. But Spence is adamant that behind every great company is an authentic sense of purpose — “a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world” — and a workplace with the “energy and vitality” to bring that purpose to life.”

via Its Not What You Sell, Its What You Believe – Bill Taylor – Harvard Business Review.
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Growing a multimillion dollar corporation during a recession is no small feat and it’s no accident. Companies that are swimming against the economic tide are doing things differently than those that are treading water, or worse, drowning. So, what exactly separates the best from the rest? In a world of tech-empowered consumers and employees, companies that are bucking the economic trend exhibit key behaviors that allow them to exploit technology and weave it into their […]

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