I developed a buttoned-down approach to achieve real business agility in a reasonable amount of time.
The need.
Senior leaders and middle managers want a clear course of action, not a description of how they should be or a diagram.
In my experience, it’s more important to help sort out how the middle layers of management should work if you want to change the kind of results you get as a business.
I organized what I’ve learned into a repeatable program that allows for a unique implementation each time.
Instead of a designed solution, I offer a definition of fitness and a path to reach it.
My goal is to help your company to overcome the obstacles to business agility.
The inspiration.
SILICON VALLEY INNOVATION HUB
Regularly meet with product innovators, fintech startups, agile coaches and customer dev experts.
I recognize how normal companies can do it, too. No need for expensive elite staff or environments.
LEAN KANBAN COMMUNITY
I've abandoned many of the 'Agile' practices since I saw they didn't work and have better alternatives.
Over and over I see how business agility is achieved through middle management - not teams.
JAPANESE INNOVATION OUTPOSTS
Worked with Japanese corporations to connect strategy to execution - and how to track progress.
Co-authored a book on how they can adopt the 'Silicon Valley Way'.
DISAPPEARING COMPANY
Manager at a company that had and lost significant market share.
Learned not just that we needed to update our technology, but that we didn't change because we wouldn't face the facts.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Saw many problems caused by all the effort put into planning a massive re-org with a 'go-live' date.
Created Agile Change Management to test and run many small changes to overcome resistance.
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY MBA
I decided to add a formal education to my broad experience of different industries and functions.
Reading cases to present proposals for two years revealed my strengths and led me to consulting.
MARKETING STRATEGY
Faced with the difference between being a software company and a services company.
Learned my first lesson in how identity impacts the options you can pursue.
TOKYO BUSINESS COACH
Spent 6 years in Tokyo as a business coach helping Japanese managers bridge foreign HQ and local staff.
Developed insight into how messaging "leader's intent" is key to alignment.
CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTOR
Saw revenue opportunity; created the department, policy and processes.
Learned to spend time on differentiating types of work to align actions from people in all departments.
KENJUTSU STUDENT
Student at Tokyo HQ dojo.
In a rare chance to try the techniques against multiple attackers I saw how commitment to just the strongest threat drives lesser competitors away.
LEADERSHIP SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Career start as instructor then manager. Led courses and responsible for two program transformations.
Learned how people learn and why they will or won't change.
CAFE SHIFT MANAGER
Busy place with lines out the door all morning.
Learned that being on top of process results in rest time, which can be invested in further process improvement.