Category Archives: Innovation

Kill The Innovation Killers – CIO Blog

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Stuart Cross

Please click here to read my latest blog post on the CIO blog, and learn how you can improve the conditions for innovation in your business. © Stuart Cross 2012

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Fresh & Easy = Stale & Hard

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Stuart Cross

The problems mount up for new Tesco CEO, Phil Clarke, and one of the biggest issues on his desk is how to deal with the under-performing US business, Fresh & Easy, which announced further losses and store closures this week. … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth, Innovation, Strategy | 1 Comment

10 Signs That Your Business Is Distinctive

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Stuart Cross

There is so much noise in today’s markets, and customers have so much choice and so little time, that if you aren’t distinctive – and distinctively better – you have no cut through. And if that’s the case, then you … Continue reading →

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Don’t Get Stuck In The Ruts Of Success

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Stuart Cross

My new article, Don’t Get Stuck In The Ruts Of Success, has just been published by my friend and partner, Alan Weiss, on his blog, Contrarian Consulting. Click here to read the article. © Stuart Cross 2011. All rights reserved.

Posted in Growth, Innovation, Performance Improvement, Strategy | 2 Comments

Use These 5 Questions To Determine The Risk Of New Growth Initiatives

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Stuart Cross

I have found that by using these five questions, it is possible to quickly gain alignment and focus on which initiatives are likely to deliver their estimated returns at acceptable risk. There are five risks to assess: Strategic Risk. Does … Continue reading →

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Gozo, Google and Growth

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Stuart Cross

As part of our holiday to Gozo, the island that neighbours Malta in the sparkling, azure Mediterranean Sea, we visited a local farm. Martin, the farmer, proudly showed us the series of terraces, water tanks, pumps, pipes and channels that … Continue reading →

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Three Ways To Create New Business Ideas

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Stuart Cross

Brainstorming has such a bad name, perhaps, as a result of sessions where everyone is asked to a meeting room and then requested to generate ideas from the top of their minds. This approach can generate some ideas, but for … Continue reading →

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Top 10 Innovation Killers

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Stuart Cross

I have previously written elsewhere about 5 innovation killers, but have been thinking further on this subject and have now identified 10 organisational and management factors that I believe prevent companies from reaching their innovation potential. Professional management. Although professionally … Continue reading →

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Nothing Fails Like Success (1) – Flip Video

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Stuart Cross

The first in an ongoing series of examples that show how focusing excessively on current successes can create longer-term growth issues: Cisco, which bought Flip a few years ago for $800 million, is mothballing the brand. Flip sells small, easy-to-use … Continue reading →

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10 Sources Of New Growth Ideas

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Stuart Cross

New applications for existing technologies. Sir James Dyson’s bag-less vacuum cleaner technology was inspired by the way a local sawmill used a giant cyclone to lift and remove sawdust from the air. Combine disparate technologies. Apple’s iPod and iTunes, brought … Continue reading →

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