by Stuart Cross | Sep 17, 2021 | Business Rocks
Emma Raducanu’s incredible victory in the US Open is the sporting achievement of the year. She is the only person to win a Grand Slam after coming through the pre-tournament qualifying rounds and she never lost a set in the entire competition. Ahead of the final,...
by Stuart Cross | Sep 10, 2021 | Business Rocks
This week I celebrated 15 years as an independent consultant, helping companies to develop better strategies and to accelerate growth. I say ‘celebrated’, but in fact, up until now, I haven’t given it a moment’s thought. Yet, over the past decade and a half I’ve had...
by Stuart Cross | Sep 3, 2021 | Business Rocks, Covid
For many western nations, Covid-19 is starting to transition from being a pandemic to becoming more of an endemic virus. While some governments are still pursuing a zero-Covid strategy, most are trying work out how we can best manage and live with the disease....
by Stuart Cross | Aug 13, 2021 | Business Rocks
Archie, one of our sons, is fastidious about ‘best before’ dates on food items. It drives my wife to distraction that he refuses to consume anything that is even one minute beyond the date on the package. As someone who has moved house with Corn Flakes that are five...
by Stuart Cross | Aug 6, 2021 | Business Rocks
Two weeks ago, just before the opening ceremony, I told my wife that I had no real interest in this year’s Olympic Games. The lack of crowds, in particular, I felt, would limit its excitement and appeal. Within 24 hours, however, I found myself waking up at 5am to...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 23, 2021 | Business Rocks
When I’m agreeing the objectives and scope of projects with my clients, I’m not just focused on the business objectives. I also try to understand the personal objectives that lie behind my buyer’s stated business goals. While their declared aims may be rational and...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 9, 2021 | Business Rocks
For the first time since 1966, the England men’s football team have reached the final of a major championship. Unsurprisingly, Gareth Southgate, the manager, is receiving a lot of attention. Like most managers, most of the focus is on the things that can be easily...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 2, 2021 | Business Rocks
The hardest part of strategy is not coming up with ideas. That’s easy, everyone can do it. No, the hardest part is choosing not to do something. The hardest part is prioritizing. Every time you prioritize, you’re saying ‘no’ to a good idea. You are potentially missing...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 25, 2021 | Business Rocks
I’ve been running a strategy project with a client. We set out the company’s biggest priorities for the next few years, including clarity about what needs to have been delivered two years from now. We then talked about what need to happen next. The client told me that...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 18, 2021 | Business Rocks
Kodak was an extremely innovative business. It led the move away from photographic plates to chemical film and from black-and-white to colour. One of its scientists even invented the digital camera in the late 1970s, benefitting from the company’s commitment to blue...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 4, 2021 | Business Rocks
For the past few months, I’ve been suffering with lower back pain. It’s stopping me from exercising and is, well, a real pain. So, a couple of weeks ago I went to see James, a personal trainer who had radically improved the back health of one of my clients. James...
by Stuart Cross | May 21, 2021 | Business Rocks
I have some bad news for you. Last night, your business was completely destroyed. In fact, it’s worse than that. Your whole industry has been wiped out. So, what are you going to do? How would you rebuild your market and organisation? If your mind is blank, you are...
by Stuart Cross | May 14, 2021 | Business Rocks
I want to draw your attention to a strange and mysterious kind of person. They are both extremely tidy and disgustingly messy. I’ve never observed them in action, but see the results of their work every day when I’m out walking. These people own dogs. They take their...
by Stuart Cross | May 7, 2021 | Business Rocks
There are early signs of a new epidemic. This time it’s an epidemic of optimism. The Bank of England is suggesting that 2021 will witness the largest GDP growth since 1946, while UK manufacturers’ belief in economic growth is at its highest level in 50 years. On a...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 30, 2021 | Business Rocks
I love coaching my U16 football team and am always looking for ways to improve my coaching skills. A while back, I attended an FA Coaching Conference at St George’s Park, the FA headquarters. One of the workshops I went to was on sprinting and movement technique. At...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 23, 2021 | Business Rocks
It’s hard to know where to begin with the fiasco of the aborted European Super League. There are so many epic management and leadership failures involved. So, instead, let me share a small positive. The ESL lasted a little less than 48-hours. The concept may have...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 16, 2021 | Business Rocks
Those of you who have followed this newsletter for a little while may know that one of my favourite phrases is “nothing fails like success.” Many companies fail not because they’re bad at what they do, but because they’re great at what they do. It’s just that the...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 1, 2021 | Business Rocks
Far from being beneficial, the search for perfection inhibits performance. Take football, for example. This season’s use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to help officiate Premier League games has made the game far less enjoyable to watch. As some faceless official...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 26, 2021 | Business Rocks, Covid
I had my first Covid-19 jab last Friday. It was a momentous day. So much so that as I left the vaccination centre in Lincoln, the NHS had organized for the Red Arrows to perform one of their amazing aerobatic displays – just to celebrate my inoculation. (My wife...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 19, 2021 | Business Rocks
When I ask my clients what they’re great at and what sets them apart from their rivals, they tend to reply with a list of platitudes. Our people. Our values and ethos. Our willingness to go the extra mile. While each of these points may have some truth, they don’t get...
