Are the Boston Red Sox Innovative?
Posted on | June 13, 2009 | No Comments
The Boston Red Sox are a great example of doing the right things, at the right time, to facilitate change and innovation. The Red Sox, if you go back 10 years or so, had several challenges facing them.
A quick analysis looks like this…
- Second Place in the Market (AL East) The evil empire in NY was still the king of the division (Market segment) and MLB (overall marketplace)
- An old stadium that was unpopular with the players (employees) and needed improvements for the fans (customers) to have a better experience
- A business model of trying to compete with the #1 NY Yankees by spending lots of money and trying to copy their strategy without the results
- The model was to go out and try to buy the best available talent or block the Yankees from obtaining the talent
This had delivered exactly ZERO world series titles, but had built a loyal customer base (Red Sox Nation) with limited capabilities for growth within the confines of the MLB business model. To expand reach, generate more revenue and deliver a superior product something had to change…
So what happened?
In 2002 Larry Lucchino hired Theo Epstein, a Brookline, Mass native to work for the Red Sox coming over from the San Diego Padre’s organization where he started his career. This fulfilled a childhood dream for Theo. In Boston, he quickly assumed the GM role for the Red Sox and assembled the first World Series championship team in 86 years in Boston and killed the curse of the Bambino! This is the end of the story… Here is where I see the innovation happening… LEADERSHIP, CUSTOMER FOCUSED STRATEGY and NEW OPERATING MODEL CREATION.
- LEADERSHIP – The Red Sox took a risk and hired the youngest GM in the history of MLB. They were told this was a bad move, that it wouldn’t work. He did not have the skills or the chops to do the job and compete with the evil empire in NY. They saw the potential and he very clearly articulated his goals and vision for the future. The Red Sox did not hire a resume. They hired the skills, the brain, the vision and WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? not what have you done for someone else.
- CUSTOMER FOCUSED STRATEGY – The Red Sox also simultaneously began overhauling Fenway Park. They added more seating (revenue) and they updated the look and feel of the park (customer experience & demand generation). This is key to their customer strategy. Fenway is a destination. It is a big part of the business model. Have you tried getting a Red Sox ticket during Theo’s reign? The Red Sox now deliver a consistent, high performance product that meets and exceeds customer expectation (THEY WON A WORLD SERIES). This is a nice look at understanding who your customer is and building a truly customer focused strategy.
- NEW OPERATING MODEL - Theo was also able to shift the Red Sox focus inside. His foresight to the fact that you could not continue to win the war by just spending money on talent was well timed. Theo began to build a farm system that has produced some of the top Red Sox big leaguers on the roster including Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, etc… This shift to the development of talent is a huge competitive advantage in MLB right now. The business of baseball is very complex with labor relations, free agency, revenue sharing, etc… To be able to produce a superior product consistently, retain the talent developed and have sustainable growth and success is truly difficult. This operational model shift has enabled the Red Sox to do this. They were first movers and it has given them a distinct advantage in the market. It has put them in position to build a dynasty. Not to mention the players like the culture they work within, they like their customers and are dedicated to the mission. (Except for Manny of course. I would consider that managed turnover!)
Hopefully this provided a fun lens to think about something other than the daily business page and gain a better understanding of change and innovation.
Innovation is the process and outcome of creating something new, which is also of value! (- Paul Leonardi, Northwestern University)
Let’s Go Red Sox!….. Let’s Go Red Sox!……
Tags: Baseball > Customer Focus > Innovation > Leadership
So what did I get in Graduate School?
Posted on | June 12, 2009 | No Comments
I got accepted to Northwestern University. I wrote a big check. I did all the work. Graduation is next week. What did I learn?
Graduate school is a great experience. Being blessed enough to attend Northwestern University and learn with some of the smartest people in the world has been a dream come true for me. But after all of the classes are done, the projects are completed and assignments turned in… what are the key learnings for all the time, effort and money?
- A New skill set that allows me to think differently. Strategic, Analytical and Execution focused thinking has given me a new lens on the world. I see things differently. I see them at a 360 degree perspective.
- Relationships. I have forged wonderful relationships with professors, classmates, alumni, administration and others. The purple blood of Northwestern runs strong and it will be with me forever. This is a “cash flow in perpetuity” to use some fancy grad school finance language…
- Confidence. Not that I did not have confidence before, but my personal brand is now enhanced by having the Northwestern Credential. So maybe it is not self confidence but “external confidence”?
- Organizational development makes sense. I have a much deeper understanding of how strategy, vision, goals, objectives, blah, blah, blah work together with people, culture and climate to make it all happen.
- Innovation. This is a big word but I understand innovation principles, the models to develop innovation and how to organize for execution. This was a pie in the sky term before and it is a reality with a framework and process for me now. This is where the most fun and excitement is!
My experience in graduate school was truly life changing for the better. I have new friends, new ideas and a new skill set that will help me be a better person, employee, employer and leader in the 21st century.
If you have the opportunity to attend graduate school, DO IT!
Resume & Interview – R.I.P. ???
Posted on | June 11, 2009 | No Comments
So I have been thinking about how to start a movement to kill the resume for some time now. Most of this concern comes from spending some time in the recruiting business and watching my clients screen, qualify and even hire candidates based on their resume. Now of course sometimes that happened because of the value I would provide in my screening process but on a whole, more often than not, people use the resume as the be all, end all to get grant an interview and even make a hiring decision in some cases.
With the proliferation of the digital age and the shift happening in the workforce I believe we have finally started to move in the right direction. A modified new direction. We may be looking for the “right people, at the right time, for the right job”. I was not smart enough to articulate this clearly but I have seen three really good pieces in the last couple of weeks which tells me I should use their words not mine… Happy Hiring…
Seth Godin has a great piece here “Why bother having a resume” – http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/03/why-bother-havi.html
My friend and former co-worker Scott Hajer wrote this piece on the digital resume… (This led me to Seth’s post) “A brave new resume” – http://cloudrecruiting.net/a-brave-new-resume/
The Heath brothers had this piece about hiring and the interview, or lack there of which is the next logical step in a changing the hiring process. This piece appeared in the latest Fast Company. “Made to Stick – Hold the interview” - http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/136/made-to-stick-hold-the-interview.html
Can you tell me how to get… How to get to Sesame Street?
Posted on | May 5, 2009 | 1 Comment
My 14 month old daughter has me watching a lot of Sesame Street lately. I found myself enjoying the clips of Grover waiting on the angry business guy. It is really some smart stuff. Entertaining too! Sesame Street also provides a great lens to think about business, marketing and customer engagement.
I know Sesame Street has been written about by many people in the past but I wanted to touch on some thoughts that I synthesized recently and hopefully provide a quick, easy way to think about how you do business. I tried it out at i.c.stars a non-profit organization I work with and it was received well. (A great organization by the way. Check them out at www.icstars.org).
Do you operate like Sesame Street? If you don’t you better start watching PBS and the Sprout Channel! Here are some things to think about…
1. Why does your young child watch Sesame Street? Is it because they are born with the gene? Do they just know it is on at 7am? I don’t think so. They watch it because someone else turns them on to it. A parent, sibling, grandparent, child care worker, etc… (Word of Mouth POWERHOUSE!)
2. Why do you AUTOMATICALLY turn a child on to Sesame Street? Because you are supposed to? Because it is in the parent manual? Because your Mom or Dad did it for you? Because you need a babysitter in the form of the TV? I say it is all of the above. This is because it is perceived as the thing to do, it has no known negative effect (even though there is a lot of debate about how much TV a child should watch) and they will interact with the “customer” on their terms. i.e. TV, Internet, Toys, Clothing, Live Entertainment, Sesame Street Amusement Park, etc… And finally, they have an AWESOME product!
3. Awesome Product = Deliver Value… Sesame Street is consistent. They deliver value whether real or perceived. As a member of the first Sesame Street Generation I find it amazing that the show follows the same model for the most part that it did when I was young. This is not an accident. I have a Cookie Monster T-shirt that my daughter loves. This is an Adult XL size. Not intended for children at all. Intended for me… The parent to continue the Word of Mouth model and influence model on future customers. My child, grandchildren, her friends, etc… They have also extended this consistency to their other engagement points. Partnership with Fisher Price and other high end toy manufacturers, an excellent web 2.0 type Internet site… www.sesamestreet.orgblah, blah, blah…
4. Understand your customer, their buying process and how you engage them… As a first generation Sesame Street’er I loved the show as a child. I then went away for about 30 years and jumped back in with my young daughter. I found it amazing as I mentioned that the show was essentially the same. They also continue to integrate “old school” clips from when I was a kid. If you go to the website these clips are labeled as “classic”. This is an outstanding way to keep your passive customer engaged and keep the pump primed for when I am ready to return. I may buy a gift for a friend or a niece or nephew and research it on the web or in a store. When I have my own child however they integrate me right in to the fold without missing a beat, showing me the old clips that make me feel comfortable and bring back childhood memories. OF COURSE I WANT MY CHILD TO SHARE THE SAME MEMORIES WITH ME! Sesame Street knows its customer, its buyer and its influencer very well. They also know how to engage and nurture them through relevant interaction.
5. Building Blocks… Now that I have my own daughter and have integrated her into the Sesame Street World what do you think will happen when she has a child and I am a Grandparent? The influence will be double! This is almost scary and cult like in its development. Think about the power of a brand that continues to layer support on top of support through every generation. This is a concept that you could think about for any consumer product like “My Dad always bought a Chevy”, or “We always vote Republican”… The difference is Sesame Street continues to deliver a consistent product, continues to innovate new engagement points and creates new business models to continually add value while making it relevant to its entire influencer group and new customer group. A very difficult task to cross generations and stay relevant.
In all I hope this generates some thought about how you take your product or service to market and how you engage and understand your customers and clients.
Sunny Days….
Your Friend,
Elmo
A dose of reality…
Posted on | April 16, 2009 | No Comments
This is a re-post of a note that was sent to the TLA (Technology Leaders Association) group on LinkedIn. It was written by Pat Moroney. He is the President of the TLA and is the past CIO for Blue Cross Blue Shield. I know Pat and he is an excellent leader, focused on the community at large and just an all around great guy. I felt his comments were spot on and deserved a re-print. This is posted with Pat’s consent in its original form. Here is the link to the post – http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers&discussionID=2701438&gid=41523&commentID=-1&trk=view_disc
You may have to be a member of the group to see it…
LinkedIn Groups |
TLA Newsletter – 04/15/09 PRESIDENTIAL MUSINGS OK, really I am a supreme optimist when I am left to myself – my glass is always full (I think elementally). But I just have never seen business or government make those hard selfless decisions. For this I admire our parent’s WWII generation who sacrificed and pitched in like never before). Getting back to the point of my musings here, I think if transformational change is to occur it is going to have to occur at the individual level. Each of us (as in you and me) is going to have to start making different decisions in our personal lives and in our careers directed towards a future state that is not normal to us but rather much more sustainable, both economically and environmentally. I still see a lot of us trying to obtain full employment just like it used to be – but I just don’t think the way it used to be is going to be available for all of us in a transformed future. That said, I think we are going to like the future when we get there but there is that ugly ‘C’ word we are going to have to face up to to achieve it. Change is hard. Visualize what change might look like specifically to you in your career and ask yourself what you are doing to transform yourself to get there. Are you learning new skills? Are you possible adjusting your personal lifestyles to not require so much income in the future and give yourself more flexibility? Are you perhaps relocating closer to public transportation? Are you innovating? Change is hard – only when we fear it and we fear it when we don’t know what it looks like. Begin to imagine a different future and you are taking the steps to your new normal. When we all do that we will all be better off. Pat Moroney |
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1 to 1 Network Engagement – The Findings
Posted on | April 15, 2009 | No Comments
So… the poll ran on my LinkedIn profile with some promotion by me for 10 days. The results are interesting and I will report them below.
The answers to my questions are as follows…
1. Do people understand the value I can provide? – I think the answer is yes based on the fact that of the respondents 86% said they would hire or probably would hire…
2. Does my network see a need for my skill set? – I think the answer is yes and no… the 86% yes or probably would indicate yes and the fact that I only have 24 responses would say no.
3. Does my network even know what I do? – This answer is not clear from the results due to the low response rate.
4. Do I have people in my network that care enough to answer a difficult question? – I guess not. Only 24 responses to date after two weeks and some promotion of the poll. Or people do not pay attention to this stuff on LinkedIn…
5. Does LinkedIn help facilitate TRUE networking? Will this poll create conversations? – It did create conversations. Most of them were about the fact that people thought it was a novel idea to post such a poll. Others wanted to know the results and know whether or not the poll was anonymous or not…
In conclusion I think LinkedIn is an interesting Business tool and I think I crossed the line in to the personal world. My hunch is that my close connections answered the poll question and others were possibly afraid to answer because they did not know whether or not their identity would be revealed.
Results:
http://polls.linkedin.com/poll-results/30243/szwxt
I will provide more if feedback if anything interesting happens with the poll. I am going to leave it open indefinitely…
1 to 1 Network Engagement
Posted on | March 31, 2009 | No Comments
In an attempt to determine the power of my network I have created a poll on LinkedIn to ask my closest connections a tough question. “Would you hire Coley Perry to work for you?”
Respond to the poll at the link below -
http://polls.linkedin.com/p/30243/szwxt
This will tell me many things…
1. Do people understand the value I can provide?
2. Does my network see a need for my skill set?
3. Does my network even know what I do?
4. Do I have people in my network that care enough to answer a difficult question?
5. Does LinkedIn help facilitate TRUE networking? Will this poll create conversations?
Stay tuned to my LinkedIn Page for Poll results! www.linkedin.com/in/coley
Why are we all talking about Innovation now?
Posted on | March 7, 2009 | No Comments
The thing that drives me crazy about all of the gloom and doom dished out on a daily basis by the media, corporate leaders and everybody else is the “Now is the time for Innovation” nonsense. You are backed into a corner, you have no other choice, you are on your way to corporate extinction… Innovate now! This is usually followed up with a feel good story about the Chocolate Chip Cookie being developed during the Depression, etc…
I challenge you to think about the companies that have been successful recently and over time. They are relevant, customer focused, provide a ton of perceived and real value and also make money! They are the obvious companies that jump to mind… Apple, J&J, Google and others. They are also the “Snuggie” (That goofy blanket with sleeves that looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s outfit from Star Wars), McDonald’s, Toyota and others. What do they all have in common? What makes them successful? There are a lot of things but one that is relevant and important in today’s world is the fact that they do not have a strategy of COMPLACENCY!
The current economic crisis is not the cause of many of the problems companies are facing today. Sure, Capital Markets could be causing a legitimate constraint on growth or your supply chain could be impacted all around you but lack of business strategy, continuous innovation strategy, new business model creation and customer focused strategy seem to be the scab underneath the band-aid that has been ripped off during the current economic downturn. Think… General Motors, Sears, Motorola (used to be good), etc…
I hope this current downturn will force current corporate leaders and the leaders of tomorrow to focus on always being engaged from the customer to the board room, always understand the competitive landscape, and ALWAYS look for new business models, new opportunities for innovation and the people to help you get there…
Here is a great cartoon that sums up the complacent culture that exists in the companies that are in trouble…
Are your Sales & Marketing Efforts Aligned?
Posted on | February 14, 2009 | No Comments
My friends over at MaconRaine, LLC are working on a great study to benchmark current efforts working toward sales & marketing alignment. They are conducting a survey and will be creating a great document after they compile the data.
Here is the link to the survey…
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=lT4fBV24_2bBzdJIcqFbboDQ_3d_3d
How to Hire… It’s like Gambling in Las Vegas!
Posted on | February 13, 2009 | No Comments
After working with my clients over the last few months during this challenging economic climate I realized that some of the same old issues are beginning to pop up. Here is a discussion of one I thought we should think about…
Do you have a plan when you hire? Do you understand what brings someone to your organization or why you think someone is a “fit”? Do you have an interview process? Do you have evaluation metrics? Do you communicate to reach decisions on candidates?
These may seem like simple questions but I find it is a common problem for companies. I am constantly working with clients’ HR, IT and Business Lines to help them hire and I see these challenges from the inside. It does not matter how large or how small the company is. Additionally, this process gets more disconnected when it is a group of people doing the interview, multiple managers, hiring managers and departments. If there is not a framework for your hiring process you will continue to have limited success in hiring. It will remain a roulette choice… Red or Black, maybe “00″? Candidate A or Candidate B or the internal candidate?
Remember it feels good when you win a couple of spins in a row but it hurts when you have to head back to your room with empty pockets. The companies that are stuck on the hamster wheel and do not meet growth plans, revenue goals and other targets are the one’s that have run out of chips again and are headed back to the room with a good story and a lot of excuses…
Here are a few quick thoughts that I have put together based on my experience in the Human Capital business. This is a “system” if you will, just like Roulette or BlackJack. If you have a system you are more likely to limit risk, have more opportunity for success and not have to guess why you won or lost.
1. Understand your open requirement. Why is it open? Who will it work with? What are the roles & responsibilities? How does it fit into your strategy at a corporate level, business level, group or team level?
2. Understand what hard skills are required to perform the job? i.e. CPA for an Accountant role, .Net Development skills for a .Net Web Developer position, etc… (This is an area that causes inexperienced hiring managers a BIG problem. They get stuck in this area and focus only on hard skills.)
3. FULLY understand the soft skills required and “cultural fit” criteria. Cultural fit is the most important factor for determining success or failure. If you have a great cultural fit with moderate hard skills you have a better chance at success than with top-level hard skills and a moderate or poor cultural fit. Sound Familiar?
4. Have a process… I have used behavioral interviewing techniques as the foundation for my interviewing process. I have also created the ability to capture information and structure it in a way that facilitates evaluation after an interview. This is extremely helpful when you have multiple interviewers, reviewers, hiring managers and HR involved in the process. This will also create the metrics necessary to understand how you hire, how to improve your hiring process and accountability for the process itself.
5. Make sure you communicate your process to your company. Make sure everyone understands why and how you hire. Make sure they understand what a good hire looks like (Employee Referral is your top source of top performers. Save for another post). Hiring Managers and their interview teams must have transparency to the process and work together to be successful and improve the process over time.
I hope this helps to serve as a simple reminder and reason to pause and make sure you are working your system so you can win!
keep looking »About Coley
Coley Perry is a 15 year veteran of the B2B sales and marketing grind. Most of his experience is in and around the technology vertical calling on clients and solving business problems through hardware, software, services and consulting. He has built sales teams, go-to-market strategies, demand generation engines and sustainable revenue streams. He wrote a lot of checks to Columbia College and Northwestern University but learned the most from The “Second City” Training Center in Chicago where he studied the Art of Improv.
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