Business Strategy

8 Jul, 2014

What’s in a Name Change? Part I

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:27+00:00July 8th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

The majority of the world spent the last five days living their life. A small slice of the universe who make their living selling ideas, however, were agitating themselves into a frenzy. In case you missed it, the National Speakers Association, an association of which I am a member, decided to re-brand itself and change its name to PLATFORM. This is a first world problem. In the context of all of the turmoil in the world, the re-naming of this 41-year old association ranks right up there with … well almost nothing. And yet, people on all sides of the argument lit up the blogosphere and social media channels supporting their positions … even if it meant refusing to consider that others might be equally right in their own stance (see my blog on “Is It Always Right to be Right” for more on that phenomenon.)

2 Jul, 2014

Challenge Your Thinking. Focus Your Execution. Deliver Desired Results.

By Randy Pennington|2023-11-27T16:10:52+00:00July 2nd, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Innovation, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

The walls of The Loomis Agency are adorned with pictures of dogs. There are so many photos and references to our beloved canine companions that conspiracy theorists might wonder if the company is secretly reviving [...]

17 Jun, 2014

The Fault in Our Institutions is the Fault Within Ourselves

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:28+00:00June 17th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Government & Politics, Integrity & Ethics, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

The lack of confidence in the institutions that define our collective culture is threatening the civility, economic prosperity, and standing of the United States as a world leader. Let’s start with the government. The President’s [...]

2 Jun, 2014

Are You a Challenger Brand?

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:29+00:00June 2nd, 2014|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Innovation, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

There’s a quote about leaders and followers that suggests “If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.” For many brands, that’s certainly true. We all understand there are a limited number of spots at the top and that in each category, there can only be one market leader. It’s also true that most brands will never even sniff the position at the front of their respective pack. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself, or your brand to follower status. Whether you’re in second place, third place, or last place, by adopting a challenger brand mentality and embracing three distinct “states,” you can step out of your role of follower and start creating a whole new view.

29 May, 2014

Jack Be Nimble: Sure, but how?

By Randy Pennington|2014-10-20T16:56:01+00:00May 29th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

This would have been the message if the speaker at your last business meeting presented in nursery rhymes: Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Jack jump over The candle stick. You feel better, right? You now know what is expected of you and the definition of success. And, you have no real context for why it is important or idea about how to move forward.

19 May, 2014

Break the S-R Loop to Make Change Work

By Randy Pennington|2014-10-20T20:03:28+00:00May 19th, 2014|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

We taught mice and pigeons to do all sorts of interesting things during my graduate school class in behavioral psychology. The principle is simple: provide a stimulus and elicit a response. The stimulus-response cycle still plays an important role in animal training today. And, it is evident in virtually every routine action we take. You don’t think about your response; you just make it. And at some point, it becomes automatic. On most days, those automatic responses are benign routines that allow you to effectively navigate. Unfortunately, they can also become anchors that prevent you from making a change that will transform your business and your life.

4 May, 2014

Should You Put Lipstick on the Brussels Sprouts? How Leaders Communicate Forced Change

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:30+00:00May 4th, 2014|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

My presentations about leading change usually include a story about Double Stuf Oreos and Brussels Sprouts. You can view the story here, but the basic principle is simple: A child will willingly change what they are doing to reach a jar of cookies on top of your refrigerator. You seldom see them act with the same sense of urgency to acquire Brussels sprouts. With that in mind, leaders generate creative tension when the vision they create for change is compelling – like cookies – rather than boring like vegetables.

20 Apr, 2014

Generating Urgency: What’s Keeping You from Changing?

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:30+00:00April 20th, 2014|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

The willingness and urgency to change are based on emotional readiness not intellectual understanding. If intellectual understanding – knowing what we should do – was all it took to change, the gap between realizing we need to do something different and the work of implementing that change would be non-existent. But that’s not how it works.

21 Mar, 2014

Why You Will Lose Your Best Employees

By Randy Pennington|2014-10-20T19:56:41+00:00March 21st, 2014|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Employee Retention, Leadership, Results|

Your best employees are contemplating quitting. Some of them already have – even though they are still on the job. Hiring is picking up – especially for the stars who more than compensate for their cost with superior performance. Your best employees will have the opportunity to leave. Are you vulnerable for an exodus? Chances are the answer is yes if you are guilty of any of the following:

17 Mar, 2014

10 Words Entrepreneurs Should Use Every Day

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:36+00:00March 17th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

Jay Goltz writes a blog on small business and entrepreneurship for the New York Times. His March 10, 2014 posting was titled “10 Words Entrepreneurs Should Use With Caution.” In that piece, Goltz shared 10 [...]

11 Mar, 2014

Inside the House of Lies: Why Large Consulting Firms Are Often Bad at Change

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:36+00:00March 11th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change|

I received this email last week. The author’s name has been withheld in order to protect his/her job: “I read your book Make Change Work. and it made me angry. What made me angry is the fact that I work as a management consultant for one of the largest consulting firms and I am ashamed how few (if any) of the wisdoms we actually take from your book and coach our clients accordingly. Very often, we are in gross ignorance of the very valid insights and tips you have in your little book.”

24 Feb, 2014

What Political Races Can Teach Us About Standing Out in Our Marketplace

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:36+00:00February 24th, 2014|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Communication, Government & Politics, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change|

Who do you choose when there is very little difference between the choices? Do you take the time to understand the small factors that might distinguish one choice from another, or do you go with what is easy or the name that you hear the most often? There are four individuals running to represent their party for the office of state representative in the area where I live. All four seem like nice people, and all four are virtually indistinguishable in their stance on the issues. Seriously, you could copy and paste any of their individual responses onto the web site for any of their competitors, and no one would notice.

4 Feb, 2014

Leaders Don’t Hide

By Randy Pennington|2014-10-20T18:20:32+00:00February 4th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

Leaders distinguish themselves in times of great risk and great reward. Whether it is the political leader who bolsters our confidence in times of crisis or the business leader who follows her instincts to seize an opportunity, we respect and admire the leader who is out front when the stakes are high.

4 Jan, 2014

A Result to Remember Part II: How GE Proved that Sometimes it IS the Product

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:36+00:00January 4th, 2014|Accountability, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change|

Three weeks back I wrote about my exceptional service experience at Sewell Lexus of Dallas. The theme of the post was that it was the Sewell people rather than their product that has kept me as a loyal customer for over 20 years. The premise behind that post is the same one I offered in my 2006 book, Results Rule!: Fundamentals are the minimum. Being distinctive is the difference if it adds value. I can purchase a Lexus from a number of different dealers. The quality and service of the Sewell staff makes them distinctive in a way that adds extreme value. The very nice folks that service GE kitchen appliances just reminded me that you can’t forget the first part of my premise: Fundamentals are the minimum. Because without the fundamentals, there is nothing you can do to stand out with your customers (at least not in a positive way).

23 Dec, 2013

Defining a Good Change: It is More Than Results

By Randy Pennington|2016-10-29T15:29:37+00:00December 23rd, 2013|Business Growth, Business Strategy, Corporate Culture, Leadership, Leading & Managing Change, Results|

Every change is evaluated against the result AND the damage inflicted during its implementation. Ignore the people side of the change (feelings and perceptions), and it is only a matter of time before the desired results suffer, too. The type of change needed in today’s successful organizations is continuous. It is generated from every level, and it requires engagement and commitment from those involved. You can mandate compliance. Commitment and engagement to make change work are volunteered when you focus on more than the end result.

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