Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 355, an interview with the author of REWIRED: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI, Kate Smaje. The book REWIRED delivers a road-tested, how-to manual that Mckinsey consultants use to help companies build the capabilities to outcompete in the age of digital and AI. It reveals the learnings from large companies around the globe for succeeding at the six core elements of a digital transformation—strategy, talent, operating model, techno...
Jun 14, 2023•48 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 354, an interview with the author of The Datapreneurs: The Promise of AI and the Creators Building Our Future, Bob Muglia. In this book, Bob helps us understand how innovation in data and information technology has led us to AI—and how this technology must shape our future. Bob Muglia is a data technology investor and business executive, former CEO of Snowflake, and past president of Microsoft's Server and Tools Division. As a leader, Bob focuses on how innovat...
Jun 12, 2023•47 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the power sector corporate strategy study. A stream of our consultants is assessing the management skills of senior EI managers and executives to manage the transformation process. This process has not gone well. A senior manager of EI felt the management skills assessment was designed to present him in a poor light. He, therefore, complained to the unions and is considering legal action against EI. This is not good, but fairly commo...
Jun 07, 2023•14 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the power sector corporate strategy study. In this critical podcast, we focus on two things. First, we discuss the reason why corporate strategy studies rely so heavily on executive workshops. We explain why simply handing the perfect strategy to the client will never yield results, even if the client accepts it without any challenges. The workshop process plays a crucial role that cannot be easily replicated anywhere else in the stu...
Jun 05, 2023•15 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss advanced predictive problem solving. Turquoise Eyes started off the groundbreaking new genre developed by FIRMSconsulting that combines compelling narrative while teaching problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Set after a bank begins implementing a new retail banking strategy, we follow Teresa García Ramírez de Arroyo, a director-general in the Mexican government, who has received some disturbing news. A whistlebl...
May 31, 2023•26 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how to finalize the overall storyboard for the client. Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/7LXOL_KDZYQ Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo...
May 29, 2023•22 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss the role of the business unit strategy stream within a corporate strategy study. Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/mSNDAvmXjzA Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo...
May 24, 2023•7 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 348, an interview with the author of Bold Move: A 3-Step Plan to Transform Anxiety into Power. Bold Move is Dr. Luana Marques’ unique, tried and tested method to get you out of your rut and give you the courage to create a more confident and meaningful life. Dr. Luana pinpoints the anxiety at the root of avoidance and shows you how to overcome it and achieve your goals. Dr. Luana Marques is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS) an...
May 22, 2023•58 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
May 17, 2023•6 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
May 15, 2023•11 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 345, an interview with the Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank for new ideas in management and strategy. Martin has authored numerous books, including Your Strategy Needs a Strategy and The Imagination Machine , a handbook about how to systematically harness imagination to generate new ideas and transform businesses. Get Martin's book here: The Imagination Machine: How to Spark New Ideas and Create Your Company's Future. Martin Reeves and ...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
May 08, 2023•11 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
May 03, 2023•12 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
May 01, 2023•10 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 341, an interview with the author of Inside the Competitor's Mindset , John Horn , where he shares proven techniques to help businesses think like the competition and understand why they act the way they do. Inside the Competitor’s Mindset presents a systematic approach to competitive intelligence that starts with three frameworks to get inside the competitor’s mindset, predict their reactions to your moves, and assess whether the competition is getting ready f...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
Apr 24, 2023•6 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
Apr 19, 2023•7 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 338, an interview with Ryan McAnnally-Linz, coauthor of Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most . This book provides readers with jumping-off points, road maps, and habits of reflection for figuring out where their lives hold meaning and where things need to change. The book draws from major world religions and from impressively truthful and courageous figures such as Jesus, Muhammad, the Buddha, Aristotle, Socrates, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai L...
Apr 17, 2023•55 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from a 10 episode program to help our clients and customers measurably, radically transform their careers through The Author Program. How would your career, reputation, and earnings change as a published author? Imagine your client interactions when potential and current clients saw your thinking in a published book before they met you? Imagine the time you would save not having to explain your ideas and the value you could add to them? I...
Apr 12, 2023•26 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. In this phase of the podcast series, we are focusing on week 4 when we are bringing the entire leadership team together to help them make one decision. The only decision they have to make is: "Should Empire International focus on the non-regulated non-core activities as they are now doing or refocus their efforts to support Empire Energy on their core regulated business: generating e...
Apr 10, 2023•18 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 335, an interview with Sandeep Chennakeshu, the author of Your Company Is Your Castle: Proven Methods for Building a Resilient Business , where he describes how to assess and systematically build a company’s business model, financial health, strategy, culture, products, sales channels, execution, and stakeholder confidence to make the company formidable. Y our Company Is Your Castle equips you with critical insights and principles to build strong businesses and...
Apr 05, 2023•57 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 334, an interview with Rishi Dave, a partner in Bain’s Commercial Excellence practice with deep expertise in B2B marketing and digital marketing. In this episode, Rishi explains the concept of a “Day 1 List” in B2B sales and marketing and the three things that will get a supplier or seller on the list. Rishi also discussed what a “sales play” is, how to build it, institutionalize the knowledge within the company, and get the sales team to adopt the sales play t...
Apr 03, 2023•56 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 333, an interview with Gaia Bernstein, a Law Professor, Director of the Institute for Privacy Protection and Co-Director of the Gibbons Institute for Law Science and Technology at the Seton Hall University School of Law. She writes, teaches and lectures in the intersection of law, technology, health and privacy. Gaia is also the mother of three children who grew up in a world of smartphones, iPads and social networks. Her forthcoming book: Unwired: Gaining Cont...
Mar 29, 2023•50 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 332, an interview with the author of How to Listen , Oscar Trimboli. Effective communication is not all about eloquent speaking. The key sits on the ability to listen and how you react and respond to what you hear. As Oscar said in the episode, “The difference between hearing and listening is action”. In this episode, we discuss what good listening and communication is. We also highlighted the impact of good listening in your career, organization, and personal ...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 331, an interview with the co-author of The Burnout Challenge , Michael P. Leiter, Ph.D. Burnout is one of the major contributors driving people to leave their job. It results from unsuccessfully managed workplace stress and is a combination of exhaustion, psychological distancing, and a low sense of accomplishment. So how do we address burnout and who is responsible for managing this issue? In this episode, we discuss the factors contributing to employee burno...
Mar 22, 2023•49 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 330, an episode with Christina Maslach, PhD, a professor of psychology (Emerita) and a researcher at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California, Berkeley. In this episode, we discuss the causes of burnout and the factors contributing to it, and how leaders and organizations can address this issue to provide a sustainable and healthy working environment for their employees. Christina Maslach, PhD, received her BA from Harvard and her PhD from ...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 329, an episode with a Senior Partner and the global leader in the Tech and Telecommunication practice at McKinsey and Company, Venkat Atluri. In this episode, we defined the emerging ecosystem economy and how most successful companies navigate and thrive in this new world. Venkat Atluri is a thought leader at McKinsey, a prolific author, and a sought-after speaker at industry events. He collaborates with top executives, boards, and investors to create value th...
Mar 15, 2023•58 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we go back to the visioning workshop part of the study and re-visit some of the most important points you need to keep in mind. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: Structure of the visioning workshop Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo...
Mar 13, 2023•10 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic from week 4 of the Corporate Strategy & Transformation study. Promoting women into leadership roles is a hot topic and, sadly, a debate. Why is it a debate? What are the elements that require further analysis? To paraphrase Marvin Bower, one does not ask a client if a woman should take over the relationship, one simply tells a client a woman is taking over. It is not the client’s job to decide what is right. In this podcast, we explai...
Mar 08, 2023•16 min
For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we discuss how your cost of capital changes as you take on more debt and how this change is different between organizations. It's a crucial concept for this utility. We explain how the cost of capital change usually takes place and then we review the drivers at play that are different for this power utility vs. an average company. Click here to see the full study and here to see the merger study and market entry study. Watch the vid...
Mar 06, 2023•21 min
