by Stuart Cross | May 17, 2018 | Business Rocks, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
This week’s focus: One of my key messages to my clients is the need to focus on their big priorities. Too many organisations get bogged down in vain attempts to move a million ‘strategic’ projects forward, rather than concentrating on the handful of initiatives...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 21, 2018 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Every organisation I’ve ever known or worked with has had a myriad of goals, objectives and targets. The trouble with too many competing objectives, however, is that it results in unnecessary confusion and complexitWhen I work with my clients we determine their #1...
by Stuart Cross | Mar 1, 2018 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
It takes a photon of light a little over 8 minutes to reach the earth after it leaves the sun’s surface. In the vacuum of space, the photon literally travels at the speed of light over the 150 million km journey. But doesn’t light always travel at that velocity? Well,...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 21, 2017 | Growth, Leadership, Simplicity, Strategy
My big problem with the Balanced Scorecard approach to strategy and performance management is that is, well, too balanced. It makes everything of equal importance. In most Balanced Scorecard projects and reports I’ve seen, there is a general assumption that all goals...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 26, 2017 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
I’m currently working with a UK retailer to help accelerate the delivery of its new strategic agenda. The company and its leadership team is in a common position. Although the executive team has worked hard to find a clear way forward and agree on priorities, managers...
by Stuart Cross | Apr 18, 2017 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace
As organisations succeed and grow they begin to face new issues and problems for managers to solve. One of the biggest issues, often unseen, is the problem of complexity. Organisational complexity is a like an overgrown garden. Both are a result of neglect...
by Stuart Cross | Feb 6, 2017 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
As part of my research for my latest book, First & Fast, I interviewed Richard Baker, the Chairman of Whitbread plc. I had worked with Richard when he was the CEO of Boots. During our conversation Richard emphasized the importance of establishing...
by Stuart Cross | Dec 7, 2016 | Leadership, Simplicity
Complexity is the enemy of pace. As a result, it is a critical leadership task to simplify the organization wherever and whenever possible. Simplicity drives speed, which, in turn, drives results, and removing unnecessary complexity can be the catalyst for new growth....
by Stuart Cross | Nov 17, 2016 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
My rule of thumb is that most organizations are, at any one time, running at least twice as many major projects as they can reasonably deliver at pace. This heuristic is relevant in even the biggest organizations and, whatever size business you lead, you must focus...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 9, 2016 | Innovation, Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Want to know what to do to make your strategy actually happen? Want to know how to accelerate the pace of delivery and growth in your business? I think this quote from Michael Bloomberg’s autobiography, Bloomberg by Bloomberg, in which he describes how his business...
by Stuart Cross | Oct 5, 2016 | Growth, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Last week I spent a day with the top 150 executives of a major US home products business, looking at ways that they can increase the pace and urgency of their organisation. As ever, when I’m teaching or leading a workshop, I end up learning at least as much as the...
by Stuart Cross | Aug 24, 2016 | Leadership, Performance Improvement, Simplicity, Speed and Pace
Whenever I meet a business person, the most likely opening question I get asked is, “Are you busy?” This is unsurprising as it’s the first question executives tend to ask each other whenever they meet. The expected answer is, of course, “Yes” and this is seen as far...
by Stuart Cross | Jul 12, 2016 | Leadership, Simplicity, Strategy
I have been running my consulting business for nearly 10 years and over that time I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the UK’s leading businesses, including Boots the Chemists, Dunelm, Nectar, DFS and GSK, as well as many excellent mid-sized companies. All...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 15, 2016 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace
A key task of the leader of a team or organisation is to set the tone in terms of the values and behaviours of the organisation. Many new leaders set up a ‘culture change programme’ to help make this happen, but a simpler, faster and more effective approach is...
by Stuart Cross | Jan 5, 2016 | Leadership, Simplicity, Speed and Pace
There is an interesting article in today’s edition of The Times – at least it’s interesting to men, like me, aged 50 or older! It is called Less Is More: How To Be Fit After 50, and shares a study by Dr Peter Herbert, a 70-year old fitness expert who has found that...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 24, 2015 | Growth, Simplicity
Most marketing activity is still focused on attracting customers. Look at all the deals on TV subscriptions, utility services, mobile phones, insurance and banks. They are all deals set up to attract new customers. But what if you turned your marketing investment on...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 17, 2015 | Growth, Innovation, Simplicity
The great impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne, enjoyed painting Monte Sainte-Victoire, near to his home in Provence. In fact, he had a bit of a thing about it, and is known to have painted the mountain over 60 times. Although the paintings are inherently of the same...
by Stuart Cross | Nov 12, 2015 | Growth, Simplicity, Strategy
As I’ve written previously, clear, unambiguous and powerful #1 goal can have a transformative effect on the success of your business (see here). I worked with Topps Tiles, for instance, to establish a #1 goal for the business of growting their market share in the UK...
by Stuart Cross | Jun 25, 2015 | Growth, Simplicity, Speed and Pace, Strategy
Every company I work with has a sales growth target and a set of planned activities to reach the target. Far fewer, however, have a clear focus on what type of growth they are really trying to focus on. In reality, there are really only 7 key drivers of growth, as...
by Stuart Cross | Dec 10, 2014 | Announcements, Growth, Simplicity, Strategy, Stuart's World
Situation In 2011 the executive team at Topps Tiles plc were looking to refresh and strengthen their strategy and identify new avenues for sustainable growth Our role Since 2011 Morgan Cross Consulting has worked with the executive team to Identify and embed a clear,...
