The caterpillar knows exactly when it is the right moment to spin itself into a cocoon and start the transformation into a butterfly. However, for us, the moment to transform is not always so obvious. Missed transformations Kodak, who invented...
For some companies the old approach of Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) might still work in mass marketing. However, I believe that business is personal. It is no longer about B2C or B2B, it is about...
Communication might be the most difficult element in relationships. If you take a look at your own relationships, in your personal life as well as your business life, I am sure you will recognize that some of them are better...
The road to a better version of yourself is not just paved with things you should stop doing. There are also new behaviors you should add and there are behaviors that you certainly should continue. These behaviors are not always...
When we talk about personal development, we often focus on the new things. The skills we need to learn, the behaviors we need to improve. However, many people don’t need to learn new things to get better, they need to...
When we talk about stakeholders, there is often the notion that they are people who are somewhat involved in what you do and that you need to keep them happy, or at least informed. Although keeping your stakeholders informed is...
Last week I was asked to name a collaboration I have been in, a collaboration that worked best and why it worked best. Immediately I had to think about a collaboration I had in the early 90’s with a supplier....
Since our move to a more rural area of the Netherlands, I have experienced a different pace of life, a more relaxed pace. It took me some time to adjust, but I found out that people here take more time...
In a recent conversation I was asked if preparing for a proper alliance isn’t just common sense for an experienced business executive. Indeed, to some extent, it should be just common sense. The issue is that we are conditioned to...
PWC, Accenture, IBM and some other consultants regularly perform CEO studies. In these studies we see a rising desire of the C-Suite to grow through partnerships and alliances. The reports don’t agree on the exact numbers: it must be a...
When I receive a request from a potential client that does not fit with my business, I try to not give them a plain “no” as an answer. Instead, I always look who else can help them with their request....
Focus: many say that focus is the single most important habit we need in order to succeed in getting the results we want. Still, there are so many distractions in Today’s world and we gather so many things we don’t...
