The Real Problem
Most business problems aren’t what they look like on the surface.
These posts explore what’s really going on inside businesses under pressure, why the same problems keep coming back, and what actually fixes them.
The examples are sometimes familiar names. The lessons apply wherever people are working hard and wondering why it isn’t working better.
No theory for its own sake. No consultant wisdom. Just practical thinking from 25 years of working inside businesses under pressure.
If something here sounds familiar, you’re probably not alone.
Better According to Whom?
There’s a natural tendency in business to look at what your competitors are doing and try to do it better. If they offer more features, you add more. If they invest in new technology, you look at how you can do the same. It makes sense. Nobody wants to be […]
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Concorde: The Value Gap
There are certain things I’m very happy to pay more for. If something saves me time, removes a hassle or simply makes my life easier, I don’t always look for the cheapest option. Take home DIY for example, I’d much rather leave any stress to an expert than save a […]
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“It’s Just Not the Right Time”
I can lose an hour in Waterstones without noticing. It’s one of the few kinds of shopping I actively enjoy, so much so that I’ve always told my daughters I’ll buy them a book, any book, no argument. My eldest, a bookworm studying English Literature, has made full use of […]
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Novotel. The Free Breakfast Isn’t Free.
My family and I have stayed in quite a few Novotel hotels over the years, especially when my daughters were younger. Partly because they’re convenient. Partly because when you’re travelling with children you don’t necessarily want to turn every overnight stop into an experience. You just want something that understands […]
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The Over-Delivery Goes Wrong
I like riding bikes. So much so that, in my spare time, I’m a Bikeability instructor. I’ve never been particularly technical about them though. When my daughters were younger, we used to go on lots of family bike rides. Nothing especially ambitious: we’d pick somewhere to go, get on our […]
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The CEO Who Saw It
A few months ago, the reason for Blockbuster’s decline was the central idea we looked at. Its bust-up, which you can read about here, all stemmed from focusing on the wrong problem. That narrative fits comfortably with what we like to tell ourselves: that businesses fail because of what they […]
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Why HMV survived every music revolution. Except one.
HMV’s decline could be presented as a simple failure to adapt to digital music. But that overlooks an important detail: adapting was exactly what HMV had always done. Since its founding in 1921, it had successfully navigated multiple format changes. Vinyl records became cassette tapes, which then gave way to […]
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The Problem Behind the Request
My daughters are keen Apple consumers, and have been for years. I’m not. I don’t own an iPhone and I don’t feel particularly tempted to change from my Samsung device. However, Apple’s rise to technology of choice for many people offers insights for all businesses. I mention my daughters because, […]
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Is Listening Enough?
The general theme of all these analyses into failed and turnaround businesses has been the importance of listening. Listening to what customers value about the business and, if necessary, what needs changing to recognise that value for both the customers and the business. In truth, though, it is only step […]
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Sorry We Sucked
If you know me, you know I’d always pick a kebab as my go to takeaway (Edi’s Kebabs in Milton Keynes, if you’re asking). But my daughter has a Domino’s just a minute walk away from her university house and between them all they’ve given them some pretty good business […]
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