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...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 5, 2021 | Business Rocks
Was 2020 the year of the team? For many organisations, survival only happened as a result of the amazing teamwork displayed at all levels to identify, resolve and overcome the many and varied challenges arising from the pandemic. When we talk of teams, we generally...
by Stuart Cross | Feb 26, 2021 | Business Rocks
I have long held the belief that the most important gift I can give my children is not education, but optimism. Healthy levels of optimism are associated with improved health, higher levels of motivation and performance and career success. I say this as a natural...
by Stuart Cross | Feb 12, 2021 | Business Rocks, Covid
The development of the Covid-19 vaccines provides a great example of the conditions necessary for effective innovation. One key lesson is that while having an ‘innovation culture’ is important, it is insufficient to deliver genuine innovation. In addition to...
by Stuart Cross | Feb 5, 2021 | Business Rocks
As Victoria Coren Mitchell put it, Captain Tom made it count, didn’t he? In his 100th and final year, Captain Sir Tom Moore not only raised over £30 million for NHS charities, but he also gave hope and optimism to a nation when it needed it most. Over half of babies...
by Stuart Cross | Jan 29, 2021 | Business Rocks, Covid
I assume that, like me, you now consider yourself an expert armchair epidemiologist. If so, you’ll be reviewing the daily latest charts of infections, hospitalisations and vaccination rates, looking for clues to help you understand if and when the lockdown will be...
