Category: Blog | Page 12 | Mariposa Leadership

June 26, 2014 / Book Reviews

Book Review | Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation

Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation: What They Can’t Teach You at Business or Design School
By Idris Mootee

Head: (5 out of 5)
Heart: (3 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (5 out of 5)

Executives today will agree that the complexities of doing business have grown exponentially. Our global world is smaller due to technology that connects us all at the speed of light, driving customer expectations high. The world’s population consumes natural resources faster than we can replace them, if at all. Competition in the market is fierce. Despite all this, most executives have been operating with an outdated management model, one designed for an outdated world. That’s why this book is a timely and important read for leaders.

Design thinking can be used to make sense of all of this complexity. It connects the dots and drives innovation by allowing us to experiment in the midst of chaos and complexity. Creative solutions can emerge for complex problems.

This book, written by management guru Idris Mootee, defines design thinking and introduces readers to the applications of it. As a framework, the author links the application of design thinking tools to eight key challenges most businesses encounter: growth, predictability, change, relevance, extreme competition, standardization, creative culture and strategy and organization. Each chapter offers tips and thinking points.

Executives interested in a guide for applying design thinking will want to read this book. Buy it now.

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June 26th, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: book review, customer experience, design thinking, IDEO, idris mootee, innovation, Mariposa Leadership|

May 30, 2014 / Coaching Skills

Saving Your Job

Sometimes I coach leaders who are afraid they are at risk of being fired. They may have good evidence to support this. For example, they may have just been transferred to a different department or moved to a more junior position; or they may have gotten direct feedback from their boss, HR, or others that there is a problem with their performance. They may also just “Have a feeling.” If this sounds like you, here are a few tips:

Find out what your most important stakeholders want you to do differently.
Write down your goals for change.
Do your very best to work on the areas your stakeholders care about.
Look for other ways to shift perception.
Stay positive and take care of yourself.

To read more on these tips, visit the Sierra Leadership blog.

About the Author:

Eric Nitzberg, M.T.S., is the Principal of Sierra Leadership and an Executive Leadership Coach at Mariposa Leadership, Inc. Visit his blog.

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May 30th, 2014|Categories: Coaching Skills|Tags: Eric Nitzberg, executive coaching, job security, Mariposa Leadership, sierra leadership|

May 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: "Use 'Design Thinking' to Reach Customers"

Would you rather: chase market share to grab revenue – at any cost – or offer value to your customers which returns respectable margins? If profit margins are important, this article by Andrew King and Jeanne Liedtka will resonate with you. Many businesses today get stuck in a rut because they can’t think outside the box about reaching their customers and adding value to their lives. This article shares an example of how design thinking can infuse fresh thinking into ongoing business challenges.

The Washington Post article “Use ‘Design Thinking’ to Reach Customers” highlights how Intuit used design thinking to turn ideas into innovation.

Read it now.

What business successes have you had with design thinking?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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May 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: customer experience, design thinking, innovation, Jeanne Liedtka|

/ Book Reviews

Book Review | The Necessity of Strangers

The Necessity of Strangers: The Intriguing Truth of Insight, Innovation and Success

By: Dr. Alan Gregerman

Head: (3 out of 5)
Heart: (4 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (5 out of 5)

Growing up, many of us were told not to talk to strangers. We were taught to fear or avoid people we didn’t know. Early on, we were conditioned to believe people who were different than we were could pose a threat to our beliefs, knowledge and habits by taking us out of our comfort zone. The author of this book, Dr. Alan Gregerman, proposes a counterintuitive challenge to this conditioning.

Strangers, Dr. Gregerman contends, should be seen as an opportunity, not a threat. They – not the people we know and are familiar with – are the key to our success. Strangers are a necessity because of their differences, what they know that we don’t know, and their objectivity and ability to be honest about what matters. This challenges us to think differently about ourselves, our problems and to see more possibilities. Learning from strangers, and engaging and collaborating with people different from us enable us to find breakthroughs, delight customers, grow businesses and lead the life we were meant to.

Some of the concepts explored in this book include:

How to develop a stranger-centric mindset
How strangers can offer fresh insights that lead to innovation
How to leverage the differences of strangers, while bringing out the best of ourselves to collaborate and become more effective leaders
How connecting with and learning from the right strangers can help a business grow
Practical tools to use right away to unlock the potential of strangers

Leaders interested in pursuing consumer-led innovation strategies to deliver more value to their customers will want to read this book. Buy it now.

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May 29th, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: alan gregerman, customer experience, innovation|

How Can Design Thinking Spark Innovation?

Graphic by mapthemind.org

Sue Bethanis, CEO of Mariposa Leadership, Inc., led an online webinar, Breakthrough! Apply Design Thinking to Spark Innovation, as part of the Syntax for Change online series, Cultivating Change 2014 Master Class for Change Agents.

Design Thinking is a problem solving technique that has been used extensively and successfully to develop products and services. However, the principles of design thinking can also be applied by leaders to enable organizational transformation. For example, how do I redesign the value chain to shift from products to services or solutions? How do I motivate employees to stay engaged and energized in their work amidst organizational change? How can I involve employees in the change effort? These are not easy problems. This webinar gave audience members an opportunity to apply the Breakthrough! model (Empathy, Brainstorm, Prototype, Implement) to a real-work challenge.

If you missed this fun and insightful webinar, click the link below to listen to the webcast.

download

For more information, check out our Design Thinking workshops and learn how to to easily move from idea-to-innovation.

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May 15th, 2014|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation|Tags: breakthrough model, breakthrough workshop, change agents, design thinking, hr innovation, HR management, innovation, Mariposa Leadership, organization transformation, organizational development, syntax for change|

April 29, 2014 / Book Reviews

Article Review | 2014: A Time to Revisit the Five C’s of Loyalty!

2014: A Time to Revisit the Five C’s of Loyalty

By: Mark Johnson, CEO and CMO of Loyalty 360

Head: (5 out of 5)
Heart: (2 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (3 out of 5)

In this article, written by our May Wise Talk guest, Mark Johnson, CEO and CMO of Loyalty 360, Mark reflects on the drivers of Loyalty that brands need to pay attention to. The “Five C’s of Loyalty” (content, community, collaboration, commitment, and commerce) are simple in concept, yet given the complexities in understanding today’s customer combined with an increasing complex marketing ecosphere, can be challenging to implement.

For each “C”, Mark lays out the associated challenges brands face and offers new thinking on each concept. For Content, readers learn many definitions exist thus muddying what used to be a clear path. Community implies a need to create unique messages for every potential customer, but Mark contends this is not always possible. For Collaboration, he foresees paradigm shifts that need to happen in order to strengthen relationships with customers. Commitment is about leadership, the tension inherent in long term vs. short term thinking and what really works to drive loyalty.

Leaders interested in new thinking on the discipline of customer loyalty should read this article. Read it now.

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April 29th, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|

/ Articles We Like

How to Know When It's Time to Quit Your Job

Have you been craving a change in your professional life?

If so, sometimes the best way is to take a drastic step…and resign from your job.

But how do you know when it’s time?

The answer is different for everyone, certainly, and it depends on your personal situation. For financial or other reasons, you may need to secure a new position before tendering your resignation.

And, there are some common themes that can indicate that it is time to dust off that résumé, pack up, and move on.

A clue as to where to start: look at your top three to five values—are they being honored? Click here to read more.

About the author:

Merideth Mehlberg is a Strategic Partner with Mariposa Leadership, Inc. and the Principal at Merideth Mehlberg International LLC. For more posts by Merideth, visit her blog.

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April 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|

Ask Mariposa | Understanding Customers’ Needs

John asks: Recently there seems to be a widening gap between product development and our understanding of customers’ needs. The products aren’t hitting home like they used to. Obviously, there are many changes we need to make – where do we start?

Sue Bethanis, CEO of Mariposa, responds:

Well, there are many facets to the this question, and believe me, you’re not the only one feeling it; so many people we talk with are zeroing in on this dilemma. Here’s one idea that may hit home: START with customer empathy, and put on your anthropologist hat. GO see how your customers are using the products on their turf. You know, Steve Jobs was famous for not conducting Focus Groups, but he still knew Apple’s customers REALLY well. He was seen regularly hanging out at the Palo Alto Apple store, and checking out how customers were using Apple’s products.

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April 28th, 2014|Categories: Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management|Tags: answer, ask mariposa, HR Leadership, Mariposa Leadership, questions|

April 25, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: Beyond Customer Loyalty Programs – 7 Ways to Build Lasting Relationships

Are companies approaching customer loyalty in the wrong way? Article author, Mikkel Svane, founder and CEO of Zendesk, seems to think so. Programs – like buy ten, get one free – make it difficult to discern if a customer is drawn to the free item, or is truly loyal to your product. So what does it really take to drive loyalty?

In the Fast Company article, “Beyond Customer Loyalty Programs – 7 Ways to Build Lasting Relationships”, Mikkel contends establishing a human connection and developing empathy lies at the heart of customer loyalty. He outlines seven fundamental principles companies should adopt, which are based on how relationships work and are built.

Read it now.

How does your company build lasting relationships with customers?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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April 25th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: business, customer experience, customer loyalty, customer relationships, Fast Company, loyalty programs, Mariposa Leadership, zendesk|

March 31, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: ‘Customer Experience’ is Today’s Business Benchmark

The latest business trend is a focus on the ‘customer experience’, and with good reason. Evidence exists that companies with the highest customer experience typically grow at more than double the rate of their competitors. We share the Forbes article, ‘Customer Experience’ is Today’s Business Benchmark, by Martin Zwilling because it offers a clear definition of and tips for improving and measuring your company’s customer experience. Measurement is key because without it, companies can focus on the wrong things which detract from growth.

Read it now.

How do you measure customer loyalty?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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March 31st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: customer experience, customer loyalty, Forbes|