We believe it is possible to be both future ready and grow the core business at the same time if there is capacity to adapt. It is possible to be both future ready and grow the core business at the same time if there is capacity to adapt How do we do both…
Innovation is a buzzword that is often thrown around in the business world, but how many companies are truly innovative? Many of the most successful companies we see today have a significant pivot story early in their history. Many of the most successful companies we see today have a significant pivot story early in…
We’ve posted a lot of real quotes from real problems that often get in the way of organization success. Often, it’s a comment made by a particular role within the company, but this time it’s something that could be said or even thought of by virtually every employee at any level of the organization. “That’s…
A Conversation Between Adam Asch and Brian Haughton at Adaptivity. Adam: Hey Brian, Happy New Year! Have you seen the news lately? Lots of layoffs, major systems crashing, and technical debt is written about in the media; this is a pattern we have experienced before. What’s going on here? This is a pattern we…
Having moved from New York City, New York, to Atlanta, Georgia, I have had the opportunity to do something I had wanted to do for a long while – plant a fruit tree. Being in Georgia, the idea of growing peaches made sense to me – it’s called the Peach State; plant it, I thought,…
Your company needs to do more with less. This is especially true in economic downturns, during which layoffs may leave you short-handed and the pressure to cut costs is high. Your organization’s ‘addiction to more’ may be the biggest obstacle to getting more out of your teams. “Your organization’s ‘addiction to more’ may be…
Many managers face a conflict that encourages them to do something that’s not in the best interests of their company, its customers, and its employees. In a previous post, ‘Addicted to More’, I shared thoughts about a problem many organizations suffer from – the condition of being compelled to do more – at any…
Overcommitment may be killing your teams’ productivity, your employees’ morale, and ultimately – your ability to compete. The need for ‘more’ is greater than ever. If your team, your group, your org or your company doesn’t have more to do than they can possibly get done, then this probably won’t be very interesting reading…
The Misunderstanding of Agility Once again, there is a misunderstanding about Agility in the world today, this time it’s about commitment and what that means. This issue is best recognized by buzzwords like “predictability”. Agile was created to accommodate frequent changes and flexibility especially when innovative products are being developed. The Agile Manifesto builds…
I did it! I reached my 10k steps today. My watch congratulated me; I am so healthy! I will do it again tomorrow, and maybe even sign up for an ultra-marathon! Some people may realize that taking 10k steps a day is not an accurate indicator of how much exercise you get each day or…
Reflecting on 2019, my consulting work had become hyper-focused on helping large enterprise organizations build new capabilities for innovation. The work often took shape in the form of launching an innovation lab, a startup accelerator, and various forms of ‘intrapreneurship’ programs. I was a busy man, and in many cases, clients were achieving real…
There’s a wicked problem in many organizations. Well, there are probably many wicked problems, but I’m thinking about one problem in particular, because we see it so often and also because it can have horrific long-term impact. The problem is that fear – real or perceived – tends to result in people saying ‘yes’…