Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle Podcast
This podcast explores the unique challenges facing Caribbean companies in strategic planning and productivity improvements. Host Francis Wade offers provocative insights and solutions to break out of historical norms. The episodes are audio editions of his articles from The Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper. The podcast aims to stimulate new thinking for Caribbean businesses.
Episodes
The CEO Who Solved Everything - But Inspired No-one
TranscriptThe CEO Who Solved Everything — and Inspired No OneYou are putting in serious effort to motivate your team — and it still isn’t working. The hours are long, the intent is genuine, and the results are stubbornly flat. Before you blame your communication strategy, your budget, or your personality, consider a different diagnosis entirely.Two fictional CEOs illustrate the problem.Marcus is a
Where AI Belongs in Strategy — and Where It Will Wreck You
In the early 1980s, McKinsey told my employer at the time, AT&T, that the global market for mobile phones would top out at roughly 900,000 subscribers by 2000.The actual number was 100 million.A decade later, AT&T paid $11.5 billion for McCaw Cellular to claw its way back into the market it had walked away from.Hundreds of America’s brightest minds had read the same report, nodded at the same conc
The Productivity Trap No Election Can Fix
There’s a number most government leaders would rather not think about. For Jamaica, it’s nine dollars.That’s the country’s productivity measured as output per hour worked — US$9. Barbados, a neighboring island economy, produces more than twice that. Panama produces five times as much. Most strikingly, Jamaica’s hourly output is only marginally ahead of Haiti’s — a country that has experienced deca
The Two Meetings That Turn Long-Term Strategy Into Motion
Most top executives can generate urgency around a quarterly target. The mechanisms are familiar: dashboards, deadlines, compensation levers. People move.But ask those same executives to build genuine momentum toward a grand aspiration which needs a fifteen-year horizon, and something strange happens. They show up. They nod. They wait for the pressure to pass.This isn’t insubordination. It’s a rati
Blue Ocean Strategy Has a Flaw Nobody Talks About
There is a book on the shelf of almost every serious executive in the world. It has sold over four million copies, been translated into 46 languages, and spawned an entire consulting industry. Its central idea is so compelling that once you hear it, you cannot unhear it.The book is Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS), published in 2004 by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne. The central idea: stop fighting comp
The Moment I Realised My Story Library Was Embarrassingly Small
There is a specific kind of professional humiliation that doesn’t arrive with a bang. It sneaks in quietly, while you’re nodding, performing competence, convinced the conversation is going well.Mine arrived fifty minutes into a live podcast recording with Seth Godin.I was mid-interview. The mic was hot. And somewhere between his twelfth and thirteenth story, I heard myself say — out loud, on the r
Your Mission-Driven Organization Deserves Better Strategy Tools
Picture a familiar scene in a non-profit organization. A hotel conference room. Flip charts on easels. A two-day offsite that everyone has blocked out on their calendar and quietly dreaded.The exercises begin. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Stakeholder maps. Priority matrices. The team engages dutifully, filling in the boxes, generating the language that planning retreats are suppo
When Excellence Breeds Failure: Why Your Best Team Might Be Building Your Worst Disaster
Picture this: A talented leadership team. Top-tier credentials. Flawless execution. Every metric trending green. And yet, five years later, the company is fighting for survival—or worse, gone entirely.This isn’t a story about incompetence. It’s something far more insidious. It’s about intelligent people trapped inside a system that rewards them for making precisely the wrong choices.The Athletic M
The Strategy Handoff Crisis: Why Your Successor Can’t Think Like You Do
Companies obsess over documenting financial controls. They create detailed procedure manuals for operations. Yet when it comes to transferring strategic thinking between executives, most organizations fail spectacularly.The problem isn’t a lack of documentation. It’s documenting the wrong things entirely.The Six-Month Struggle Every Incoming Executive FacesHere’s a scenario playing out in boardroo
Why Your 2050 Strategy Must Start Today: Lessons from a 15-Year Failure
Will your organization survive the next 25 years? More importantly, are the decisions you’re making today planting the seeds of future irrelevance?The US Coast Guard wrestled with these questions and discovered something counterintuitive: to truly understand today’s challenges, you need to view them from 25 years in the future. Their Project Evergreen initiative proved this—but only after failing
The YouTube Strategy School: Why Your MBA Didn’t Teach You Strategic Thinking
Annie’s hands trembled as she reread the email from her CEO. “Let’s talk about developing your strategic capabilities.”She’d just earned her MBA with honors, landed a promotion to Chief Marketing Officer, and crushed her Strategic Planning course with an A-. Now, three weeks before Christmas, her boss wanted to discuss her lack of strategic thinking.The meeting went poorly.“You’re just not being s
The YouTube Strategy School: Why Your MBA Didn’t Teach You Strategic Thinking
Annie’s hands trembled as she reread the email from her CEO. “Let’s talk about developing your strategic capabilities.”She’d just earned her MBA with honors, landed a promotion to Chief Marketing Officer, and crushed her Strategic Planning course with an A-. Now, three weeks before Christmas, her boss wanted to discuss her lack of strategic thinking.The meeting went poorly.“You’re just not being s
The Uncomfortable Truth: Good Leadership and the Transformational Non-Obvious
The Uncomfortable Truth About Good LeadershipTwo CEOs retired recently from similar-sized companies. Their departures couldn’t have been more different—and neither could the legacies they left behind.Michael’s farewell was everything you’d expect from a beloved leader. The board praised his “collaborative leadership style” in glowing terms. His team genuinely mourned his departure. Government offi
Stop Calling It Recovery: Why Your Business Needs a Different Word
When disaster strikes, the language leaders choose reveals everything about their future.In late October 2024, Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica as a Category 4 storm, causing widespread devastation. Within days, business leaders across the island were using the same word: “recovery.” Getting back to where they were before the hurricane hit.But here’s the problem with that word—and why it mat
Why Your Strategic Plan Is Probably Just an Expensive Wish List
TranscriptAsk most CEOs about their strategic plan and you’ll hear about vision statements, multi-year roadmaps, and quarterly KPIs. What you won’t hear is the one thing that actually matters: What do we believe has to be true for this to work?That missing question—the absence of a testable hypothesis—is why most strategic plans gather dust while organizations spin their wheels solving the same pr
Why Your Strategic Vision Falls Flat
As a senior executive, you’ve delivered passionate presentations about your organization’s strategic vision. You’ve crafted compelling narratives about transformation, growth, and impact. Yet somehow, your message resonates in the boardroom but dies somewhere between middle management and the frontlines.Sound familiar?Most executives communicate like it’s 1995 - a pre-digital world. They craft one
Beyond the Annual Planning Checklist
TranscriptImagine you lead a government ministry, department, or agency. As you approach the season for submitting annual reports and corporate plans, you realize something is missing. The very reason you entered public service is being lost in paperwork.This challenge isn’t unique to any single country—it’s a global phenomenon affecting government leaders worldwide, whether they’re working within
When Good News Becomes a Business Risk
TranscriptWhen Good News Becomes a Business Risk: How Falling Crime Can Disrupt Your StrategyA Shift Few Leaders ExpectFalling crime rates are usually celebrated as a sign of progress. Safer communities, stronger economies, and a brighter future—what’s not to like? Yet for business leaders, this kind of change can also be profoundly disruptive. If your company has been operating for decades in an
Why Your Strategy Isn't Inspiring Anyone
TranscriptAs a senior executive, you’ve probably felt the weight of expectation when it comes to inspiring your team. The board expects it. Your direct reports need it. But despite your best efforts—the carefully crafted presentations, the all-hands meetings, the motivational speeches—something isn’t working.Your people seem disengaged. They nod politely during strategy sessions, but you can sense
Beyond the Boardroom and Its Voices
TranscriptWhen companies embrace long-term, aspirational strategic thinking, they often stumble upon a neglected truth: not all stakeholders have a voice. Some are silent—like the natural environment, social infrastructure, or even future generations. These sometimes non-human entities are easily overlooked because they don’t speak up, file lawsuits, or stage protests. Yet, their well-being may de
Tumultuous Times? Learn to Persuade Others to Think Decades Ahead
As a member of the C-suite with a commitment to long-term success, you may find yourself at odds with the culture around you. You’ve come to realize that your role has subtly but fundamentally shifted. While others are chasing quarterly numbers, you’ve begun to see your job through a different lens: one of legacy-building. You’re being pulled into the future, tasked—whether formally or not—with th
Strategy Communication to Staff: One-Way Message or Two-Way AI?
As a senior executive, one of your most crucial and delicate responsibilities is the communication of strategic plans to employees, board members, and key stakeholders. But how should you do it? Is it enough to share a dense, one-off report? Or can AI finally offer a way to transform this traditionally frustrating task into something more interactive and engaging?Most leaders dread this stage of t
Inspiration in Leadership | Anchor Your Message in a Compelling Future
“Inspiration in Leadership | Anchor Your Message in a Compelling Future”As a leader—whether in politics or business—you want to inspire people. You want them to care, commit, and go above and beyond. But earning this level of engagement is difficult. In fact, it’s one of the most elusive challenges in leadership.Inspiration, after all, isn’t automatic. It doesn’t come from holding a title or issui
The Hidden Risk of Success: How Short-Term Drift Erodes Long-Term Leadership
The Stability TrapYour organisation is doing well. Revenue is strong. Customers are satisfied. Partners are dependable. From the outside, all indicators suggest smooth sailing.But under the surface, a dangerous shift is taking place—short-term drift. Ironically, this subtle threat emerges not from crisis, competition, or disruption, but from long-term stability itself.Consider what has happened in
How Your Staff Could Be Inspired By Your Strategy Using AI
TranscriptAs a senior executive, you’ve probably felt the weight of expectation when it comes to inspiring your team. The board expects it. Your direct reports need it. But despite your best efforts—the carefully crafted presentations, the all-hands meetings, the motivational speeches—something isn’t working.Your people seem disengaged. They nod politely during strategy sessions, but you can sense
Trauma-Proof Strategy: How to Tap Your Team’s Thinking with AI Prompts
As a CEO or senior leader, you’re responsible for steering your organization into the future. But if you’re being honest, you may feel like you’re falling short. The day-to-day noise is deafening. How can you rise above it all and think strategically—especially now, when AI tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) are reshaping the game?In the past, you likely comforted yourself with a familiar bel
Trauma-Proof Strategy: How to Tap Your Team’s Thinking with AI Prompts
As a CEO or senior leader, you’re responsible for steering your organization into the future. But if you’re being honest, you may feel like you’re falling short. The day-to-day noise is deafening. How can you rise above it all and think strategically—especially now, when AI tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) are reshaping the game?In the past, you likely comforted yourself with a familiar bel
Growing the Economy with a Grand Strategy: Four Unavoidable Truths
As a business leader, you’re tired of hearing about countries with stagnant economies. Perhaps your own nation is among them — stuck in low-growth mode, with seemingly no way out. Yet, you’re committed to finding answers. You’re ready for bold ideas, not short-term gimmicks.Here’s one worth your time.A few weeks ago, I watched a YouTube video from a university research day featuring Michael Lopez,
From Vision to Victory: 8 Steps to Deliver Game-Changing Corporate Results
Imagine this: You’re the CEO of a growing company. You’ve gathered your executive team, ready to carve out a bold, breakthrough ambition. But there’s a moment of hesitation—you know someone will ask, “What’s the first step?” and you’re not quite sure how to respond.You’re not alone. Many leaders find themselves in this exact spot—excited about what could be, yet uncertain about how to turn ambitio
The World’s Obsessed with Drama | Wise Leaders Leverage It for Long-Term Wins
Recently, I noticed two positive trends in Jamaica that haven’t exactly made the headlines. One is economic, the other social — and both are significant. Yet, they’ve flown under the radar. Why?It turns out, there’s a powerful leadership insight here.Let’s start with a quick story. On a recent trip to Trinidad — my first in nearly ten years — I was surprised by how well the country was doing. This
Choose Your Own Culture: The Role of Planning
Your company is chasing bold results—but something keeps getting in the way. Again and again, your corporate culture seems to sabotage your efforts. Should you push forward anyway? Or is this just the way things are?As a seasoned executive, you’ve seen a variety of workplace environments—some vibrant and inspiring, others toxic and draining. You know how much culture matters. Yet, you might still
Navigating Uncertainty: Step Back, Look Ahead, and Define Your True North
As a senior executive, you are no stranger to the relentless waves of change sweeping across North America. The onslaught of daily upheavals can feel overwhelming, making it tempting to believe that success hinges on reacting swiftly to each new development. But is this truly the most effective path forward? Is there a smarter, more strategic way to navigate the turbulence?If these questions have
The Leadership Trap: How Dominating Strategy Sessions Stifles Innovation
Smart CEOs instinctively understand that game-changing decisions require a unique context. But what exactly makes breakthrough strategic thinking different? And why do so many leaders struggle to get it right?In almost every strategic planning project I participate in, there’s a quiet conversation with the top leader before we begin: “Don’t dominate the discussion.” It’s a simple directive, but no
Sour Attitudes: Transforming Resistance Frees Up Commitment
As a leader, you have a clear vision of a brighter future for your enterprise. Yet, paradoxically, the more enthusiastic you become, the more resistance you encounter. How do you lead effectively when those around you refuse to be led?You notice negativity—cynicism, resignation, despair—permeating different levels of the organization. It’s not just an issue at the lower levels; even executives in
Trumpian Disruptions | Use Turbulence While Others Lose Their Minds
Donald Trump’s first weeks in office present the biggest distraction CEOs have ever witnessed. Apart from daily news explosions, there are material threats to their businesses. But is there a way for you to transcend continuous surprises?Many leaders believed that COVID-19 was the most significant disruption of their careers. The world came to a halt and took years to return to normal. But today,
Think You Need a Comprehensive Strategy? Maybe Not.
TranscriptYour company proudly touts its “comprehensive strategic plan.” But while its creators are satisfied with its depth and detail, perhaps it’s time to rethink. Narrowing its focus might just save it from failure.Somewhere in your email inbox, there’s a lengthy strategic document waiting to be read. It’s so long and dense that you haven’t even glanced at it. You’re not alone—no one has. Read
Lacking DeepSeek Impact in Your Strategy?
TranscriptThe world watches with anticipation as DeepSeek.com takes the lead in AI Large Language Models (LLMs). As a leader, you might wonder, “Why can’t my company achieve a similar breakthrough? What’s stopping us from uncovering game-changing insights?”As your team strategizes, you grow weary of the same old excuses—yours included. Stakeholders demand answers. Why isn’t your organization makin
Afraid to Be Lofty? | Expand, Then Compress Your Strategy
Transcript: A turbulent world demands game-changing strategies. Companies must stand out, yet executives quickly discover that setting exaggerated goals has its limits. How can you inspire staff and board members with ambitious aspirations while maintaining credibility?Case in Point: You anticipate breakthroughs during strategic planning retreats. Instead, you’re met with the same old ideas. Why?
Every Leader’s Challenge | Transitioning Between Successive Visions
TranscriptJamaica’s economic future is once again in the spotlight. With elections on the horizon, the Prime Minister has unveiled the ASPIRE program. However, given the backdrop of past disappointments and widespread skepticism, one pressing question arises: How can leaders inspire others to embrace a new direction when another, prior “new direction” is still fresh in people’s memories?From a pol
Transforming Vision Statements: Choosing the Right Vision for the Right Time
TranscriptAs a leader, you recognize the importance of inspiring your team with a compelling vision. Yet, you may find that your company’s vision statement, despite its lofty aspirations, fails to inspire meaningful change. How can you craft and communicate a future that genuinely motivates your team to take action?The Challenge of an Inherited Vision StatementImagine you’re a newly promoted CEO.
Jaded Staff: Why Past Corporate Change Projects Could Be the Issue
TranscriptAs a leader, you likely have ambitious goals for your team. But the more you share your vision, the more resistance you seem to face. So, how do you move beyond jaded staff members and their skeptical responses to new futures?A Real-World Example: Jamaica’s Key ChallengesIn a recent discussion among thought leaders, three major issues emerged as Jamaica’s toughest challenges: crime, lite
From Panic to Purpose
Transcript / Article from a recent blog postSome companies that survived the pandemic now tout extreme agility as their superpower. But is this a sustainable approach? According to Jeff Bezos of Amazon, the answer may lie in focusing on what hasn’t changed, even amid turmoil.The Agility DebateCritics of long-term strategic thinking argue that it stifles flexibility. They believe leaders must prior
Master Planning for Complex Organizations: A New Approach to Achieve Exceptional Outcomes
If you’re part of a large public-sector organization or a multi-divisional private company, you probably operate within a framework of a “master plan.” This overarching strategy is meant to guide your organization towards its long-term objectives. Yet, despite the hard work, key milestones and targets may still be missed. How can you ensure that your organization achieves significant, measurable r
Avoiding Bad Strategy and Fake Retreats
Imagine this scenario: You’re a newly promoted executive involved in a strategic planning project and notice that one person is dominating the process. This individual is intelligent, but should you feel relieved or dismayed by their takeover? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscrib
Being Inspired in Public Sector Planning
As a leader in a government Ministry, Department, or Agency (MDA), you’re deeply committed to creating strategic plans that make a significant impact. However, it’s easy to get caught up in bureaucratic compliance, which can divert you from making the meaningful contributions you desire. So, how can you truly make a difference? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other sub
The Power of Pre-emptive Strategic Planning
As a company leader invested in the future of your enterprise, it can be frustrating to see others content with handling issues only when they arise. How can you instill a culture of forward-thinking in your organization?In many local organizations, strategic planning is often viewed as a luxury—an activity to be deferred until more stable times, when there’s ample time and money. For others, it’s
Why End-of-Tenure CEOs Are a Danger
In the business world, the end of a CEO’s tenure often brings about significant challenges. As CEOs near the conclusion of their careers, a troubling pattern emerges: their actions can sometimes undermine long-term value and pose serious risks to the organization. This phenomenon is rooted in several behavioral tendencies that intensify over time, but they aren't easy to spot. This is a public epi
Three Horizons for Strategic Thinking - a Guide for Long-Term Strategic Planning
As a proponent of long-term thinking in your company, you’ve likely encountered resistance. You may feel isolated, struggling to articulate the value of strategic foresight to colleagues focused on immediate concerns. This guide aims to provide you with a framework to effectively communicate the importance of long-term strategic planning (LTSP) and engage others in this crucial mindset. This is a
Ep 18 - What if your strategy document is missing actual strategic thinking?
Your company has a long history of putting together strategic plans. And you have diligently read them all in a search to understand the intentions of prior leaders.But as you look them over you are concerned. There are lots of todo lists, action items, and budgets, but the underlying plan seems to lack something important - a strategy.You can’t quite explain why this is the case, but you can tell
Strategy for Jamaican Sports Federations
You love your national sport. Seeing the Jamaican (or West Indian) flag soar above a global stage fires you up. But you also see that in football and cricket, we’ve fallen. Could it be about long-term thinking?When the West Indies men’s cricket team dominated the world in the 1980s and 90s, other countries envied them. They all tried to catch up, but Australia’s response was unique.They decided to
Game-Changing by Thinking Big and Going Long
As a corporate or national leader, you’re deeply concerned about the future of your enterprise or country. But you may notice something is missing—a sense of shared hope and engagement. You ask yourself, “Why?” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe
Reversing Neglect: The Case of Vale Royal and Vision 2030 Jamaica
Your organization has crafted a vision for the future, winning the approval of a wide array of stakeholders. But how do you keep that momentum alive beyond the initial excitement and actually deliver results? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe
Should Jamaican Citizens Abandon Their Vision for 2030?
As a Jamaican employed in an organisation, you are worried about the future of our nation. It appears as if our country is stumbling along, barely keeping its head above water.At the same time, you are aware of the power of a corporate vision. Why hasn’t someone done one for our 2.8 million people on the island, and the other 2+ million in the Diaspora?The good news is that something is already in
Why C-Suites Don’t Commit to Game-Changing Goals
As a member of the C-Suite, you may readily support Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs)—those ambitious, industry-shaping aspirations that separate leading companies from the rest. These high-stakes goals have the power to disrupt entire industries, often turning bold vision into remarkable results.Yet, you’ve likely also encountered the sobering insights from *How Big Things Get Done* by Bent Flyvb
Presencing: A Game-Changing Leadership Practice
In today's dynamic work climate, a directive-driven leadership approach is a thing of past. The modern workforce is more knowledge-driven and expects not just orders, but understanding. The challenge now lies in crafting a leadership style that inspires and engages employees. This is where the subject of our podcast, 'presencing' plays a crucial role.To put it simplistically, presencing is about i
Charting Your Course: How a Faraway Future Shapes Your Present
As a leader, you navigate a relentless sea of deadlines and short-term goals. The pressure to be agile and decisive is immense. Yet, amidst the daily chaos, a powerful tool often gets neglected – the long-term vision. You might believe it’s a luxurious indulgence, a distant dream with little bearing on the here and now. But what if I told you that fostering a vision for a faraway future can have a
Inspiring Thin-Skinned Employees: Transforming Insults into Inspirations
Welcome to the latest episode of Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle Podcast. In this episode, our host Francis Wade shares insight on transforming the hypersensitivity found in employees into an urge for purposeful contributions. The discussion digs deeper into the significance of understanding the root cause of hypersensitivity in workplaces rather than addressing the surface-level symptoms.This
3 Whys to Embrace Long-Term Planning and Thinking
You are a leader, and are well aware that both private and public sector organizations must prioritize long-term thinking. As a result, you can immediately enumerate some of the main reasons.However, there are persistent corporate issues that appear unrelated to long-term planning. Therefore, their sudden presence catches leaders off-guard. Failing to complete a long-term strategic plan can lead t
JumpLeap Podcast - ep 13 Need to Enroll Your Colleagues in the Need to Create a Long-Term Vision?
You are someone who is already a long-term thinker, working in a for-profit company. Unlike many, you don’t need to be convinced about the importance of long-term thinking. Somewhere early in the past - childhood, early career - you embedded the idea in your thinking. Now balancing short and long term thinking is a part of your character.But this may be why you are confused. Others around you don’
Ranking and Improving Your Company Vision
Similar to most companies, your firm also has a vision or purpose statement.The initial idea was meant to ignite inspiration, but lately, it seems to have lost its allure.What interventions can you implement to foster a collaborative environment and encourage your staff to go above and beyond? And how does this statement support the goals outlined in your corporate strategy?Read this and other art
Finding Clarity Amid Workplace Adversity
Navigating professional challenges can feel daunting when your usual methods of coping fail. Friction with colleagues, performance setbacks, economic pressures - these issues can linger and even permeate teams. In times of turbulence, a fresh perspective is needed to build resilience. But where can you start? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acc
Transcending the Trap of Ambition
As a high achiever, you likely gauge success by the scope of your accomplishments. Your career advancement, financial security, family growth or other goals are realized through diligent work and conscious effort. When you attain those tangible targets after years of strain and sacrifice, it validates your talents and grit.Or so it seems initially. But in time, you may come to a sobering realizati
How to Create a Future to Live Into
As a Founder/CEO, maximizing stakeholder engagement is crucial for your company’s success. Some stakeholders enthusiastically support the organization, yet you occasionally notice significant discrepancies among motivated individuals.Why? Their departments may inadvertently work against each other due to differing managerial perspectives regarding the future. This is a public episode. If you'd lik
Unraveling Strategy Amnesia
Have you ever left a strategic planning retreat feeling invigorated, only to find that the excitement fizzles out? Despite the initial enthusiasm and belief in the positive change that was about to ensue, weeks later, the essence of those profound discussions becomes a distant memory.The baffling reality is this: a gathering of bright, dedicated individuals, all ardently striving to make a meaning
Getting Beyond a Present Forward Mindset
The transition from manager to CEO often proves to be an intricate journey, one that presents unique challenges to those stepping into this elevated role. Managers, typically adept at producing short-term results, find their focus honed on meeting quarterly or yearly targets.However, a distinct realization dawns upon some top-tier executives – a profound responsibility transcending immediate succe
Unveiling Strategic Essence from Insipid Plans
Ensuring your plan possesses a genuine strategy is crucial, yet sometimes, strategic plans lack strategic essence. Here’s why this happens and how to prevent it.Imagine joining a new management team and attempting to grasp the existing strategic plan. You ask for documentation due to the confusing explanations from your new colleagues. However, reviewing the outputs from the last planning project
How to Effectively Manage Cynical Employees
In every organisation, there are employees whose primary motivation is simply trading their time for a paycheck. Unfortunately, these individuals contribute to creating a negative and toxic work environment that is detrimental to the leadership team. Negativity takes over the corporate culture.Is there a way to tap into greater motivation among your staff? As a C-Suite executive or board member, c
Why the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Aren’t Working
You are someone who is aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced in 2015 by the United Nations. Their value is not in question - they are objectives the entire world hopes to realize.But recently, Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared that the SDGs are on the path to failure.Launching a special edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress report, he warne
Unlocking the Power of Irresistible Offers
Many companies lack a formal product development unit. Instead, ideas are casually pitched to the CEO, and the next steps depend on their mood at the moment. This approach often falls short in delivering consistent innovation, resulting in products and services that closely resemble competitors’ offerings.If you’re a monopoly, your products might become stale over time. To stand out, you need inno
How to Take the Frustration Out of Board Meetings and MakeThem Strategic
As a dedicated board member, you actively contribute to meetings and aim to make a meaningful impact. However, there are moments when you find yourself quietly frustrated, wondering if the discussion has veered into the minutiae, and then even further into micro-details. Why does this happen? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epis
The Power of Keeping Your Word
In the past, the business world held a strong emphasis on keeping promises. Unfortunately, today, it seems that commitments are easily broken at the slightest inconvenience.Many of us have witnessed this trend, even though there are occasional benefits when someone lets us off the hook. However, there’s a valid reason for concern. A corporate culture where trust in one’s word is waning can spell d
Is Keeping Your Word in Business Passe?
In the past, the business world held a strong emphasis on keeping promises. Unfortunately, today, it seems that commitments are easily broken at the slightest inconvenience.Many of us have witnessed this trend, even though there are occasional benefits when someone lets us off the hook. However, there’s a valid reason for concern. A corporate culture where trust in one’s word is waning can spell d
On Tactics vs. Strategy
In the ever-evolving landscape of business, some voices argue that the concept of strategy is becoming obsolete, overshadowed by the rapid pace of change. Yet, beneath this assertion lies a reluctance to engage in deep, thoughtful planning—a sentiment that betrays a certain intellectual inertia. How can we reshape this perspective, sparking a transformation in those who seem trapped within it? Thi
Why Caribbean HR Departments Need a Big Reset
You are a Caribbean HR Professional who has noticed the respect finance professionals receive in the C-Suite. What they say seems to matter.As a result, your colleagues in the finance department can see a clear path for themselves to the C-Suite. From accounting analyst, to manager, to director, to CFO, to CEO/MD.But the same isn’t true for you. In fact, the total number of HR managers to gain a p
The Surprise Way CSRD Impacts Strategic Planning
You have heard of CSRD (the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), at least in passing. As a new reporting requirement, it calls for your company to submit annual non-financial information, starting in just a few years’ time.As someone who cares about long-term environmental and social impacts, you like where this is going.But you are concerned that it will turn into a bureaucratic slog, i
Why CEO’s Need to Care Less About Winning
The world is changing fast, and “winning” in business may already be a fool's errand.You are a company leader who has risen through the ranks. You enjoy the competitive side of running an organization. Why? There are obvious winners and losers defined by a P&L scorecard. Plus, you have tactics and strategies to choose from. And finally, you can see a clear correlation between your efforts and
Why CSRD May Be Critical to Your Business Strategy
You have heard of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive or its acronym, CSRD. You know that it has something to do with the EU which means that you haven’t paid it much attention. It’s far away.However, this could be a mistake. This new standard for disclosure reaches into some unlikely places for all companies who do business with the continent. In this article, we’ll look at the impac
On Getting Your Prices Right
Your business offers a product or service. Regardless of how well your offer sells, you wonder whether or not you are leaving money on the table. In other words, are you charging the best price possible?This question is often left to opinions, chance, or comparisons with competitors. These choices unfortunately indicate the lack of a defined philosophy.Alex Hormozi’s book, $100m Offers, provides a
Making Hard Choices
Your company has once again begun to look to the future. It’s shaken off the post-COVID blues and must now position itself in its industry with a fresh strategy. But all of your executives are not convinced that hard choices must be made. How can you persuade them? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy
The hidden secrets of flexible strategy
As a leader, you need to provide your organisation with a clear path for the future. But you also hate changing direction in mid-stream. Some say you shouldn’t bother to make any long-term plans in the first place, but is that the best solution?It pains you to think of spending a lot of time and money to create extended plans which require updates when there is a disruption. Why? You know staff ca
