by Stuart Cross | Oct 16, 2017 | Influencing, Leadership, Performance Improvement
Functional silos are the silent killer of business growth. They exist where the leaders of a particular function act in the best interests of that function, not the wider organisation. Most of the time, these leaders achieve their aims through passive...
by Stuart Cross | Oct 3, 2017 | Growth, Influencing, Stuart's World
We moved into our new house five months ago. The day after we moved in, when there were still boxes on the driveway, I heard a knock at the door. A man, who introduced himself as Shane, told me that he ran a plant nursery and was delivering locally. He then asked,...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 23, 2016 | Influencing, Leadership, Strategy
Despite all the previous books and articles that have been written on communication, CEOs and senior executives spend too little time articulating their strategy across the organisation. Some CEOs, of course, are great at this. When I worked at Boots the Chemists,...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 9, 2016 | Influencing, Leadership
Your ability to get anything done in business is directly linked to the strength of your personal relationships. For most managers, there is little that can be achieved solely with the resources at their direct control. You must also be able to influence others to get...
by Stuart Cross | Sep 22, 2014 | Influencing, Leadership
One of the interesting aspects of the recent independence vote in Scotland was the question that was asked on the voting form: Should Scotland be an independent country? That question enabled supporters of independence to be the “Yes” campaigners, while the supporters...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 12, 2013 | Growth, Influencing, Innovation, Strategy
I have seen so many business proposals, both from internal teams asking for permission to drive forward a new initiative as well as from new and established businesses looking for external funding. A common fault of these documents is that they have lots of data, but...
by Stuart Cross | May 27, 2010 | Influencing
At least, it’s not purely logical. To influence more deeply and fundamentally requires an emotional connection. I recently spoke at six sessions of IGD’s Leading Edge, the association for managers and executives in the grocery and food distribution business, on...
by Stuart Cross | May 25, 2010 | Influencing
Click on the link to read my article, Five Tips For Pitch Perfect Business Proposals, which has just been posted on BNET. © Stuart Cross 2010. All rights...
by Stuart Cross | May 13, 2010 | Influencing
Many of you have to prepare business proposals. But what is the system that you follow, and what is your success rate? The chart above demonstrates the importance of the process to getting your ideas and proposals heard and approved. Instead of falling into the trap...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 21, 2010 | Influencing
A couple of weeks ago I shared the three factors that drive your ability to gain approval for your business ideas – see here. Below is a chart to enable you to assess the likelihood of you getting approval for your ideas. For each of your business proposals simply...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 13, 2010 | Influencing
Click on the link to read my article, Getting Business Proposals Approved: It’s The Soft Stuff, Stupid!, which has just been posted on BNET. © Stuart Cross 2010. All rights...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 8, 2010 | Influencing
Most business decisions are a mix of the rational and emotional and the personal and the organisational. This means, as set out in the chart, that your ability to get a proposal heard and approved depends on three clear variables: Your own personal credibility,...
by Stuart Cross | Dec 7, 2009 | Influencing, Leadership
Keep it simple, stupid. If a message is to be remembered it must be simple. That’s why it’s so important to focus on your few, big priorities, and not try and list everything. In Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign, the internal reminder about the message was a...
by Stuart Cross | Oct 6, 2009 | Influencing, Leadership
All of my successes in business have been delivered on the back of strong relationships. And, similarly, most of my failures can be traced to an absence of effective relationships with the key stakeholders. Last week the IOC selected Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016...
by Stuart Cross | Oct 1, 2009 | Influencing, Simplicity
I’m in Rhode Island, USA, this week working with my mentor, Alan Weiss, and meeting some potential clients. Last night a small group of us went to a local restaurant that Alan had recommended called Siena, which is near our hotel in Warwick. As we set off the taxi the...
by Stuart Cross | Sep 15, 2009 | Influencing
Click on the link to read my article, Five Tips On Compelling Business Proposals, which has just been posted on BNET. © Stuart Cross 2009. All rights...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 28, 2009 | Influencing
Click on the link to read my article, Seven Secrets Of Networking, which has just been posted on...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 9, 2009 | Influencing, Leadership, Strategy
This is an article I have published at BNET.co.uk, and which can be found here: When it comes to strategy development, one of the most common mistakes a team can make is to discount radical options too early. Believing that the potential solution will be...
