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Business Genome Interview with The Engaging Brand

January 24, 2012 in Business Genome, Business Strategy, Competitive Advantage, Innovation, Interviews and Media, Organizational Growth, Product and Service Innovation, Secret Sauce, Small Business Growth, Social Media, Talent and Leadership with 0 Comments

I recently was interviewed by Anna Farmery of The Engaging Brand. It was a great time with many helpful insights shared. You can listen to the recording online here. Below is a description of the interview.

Andrea Kates joins Anna Farmery to discuss how to discover and exploit your business genome. Andrea is the founder of the Business Genome® project and author of the bestselling business innovation book, Find Your Next.

What you’ll learn during the interview:

  • Why you should be finding your next…rather than looking at the past, in business
  • What is the business genome?
  • Is there one business genome or a collective genome based on the leadership.
  • Why you should take a fresh look rather purely rely on the data.
  • How to look outside your industry for new ideas
  • 4 steps of developing the business genome – sort, match, hybridise, adapt and thrive
  • Why you should use your hunches rather than always data.
  • How do you ensure that you match what your business genome should be rather than what you want it to be?
  • Are there a risks from new thinking as well as opportunities?
  • Is the secret sauce relevant across products rather than the product itself?
  • What are the elements of your business genome?
  • Take the diagnostic test online to find your next?
  • How you turn from looking back to looking forward – trendability is the most important factor!

Listen online here or through iTunes here.

Four Simple Ways to Create WOW Customer Experiences

January 23, 2012 in Business Genome, Business Strategy, Competitive Advantage, Customer Impact, Innovation, Organizational Growth, Product and Service Innovation, Small Business Growth with 2 Comments

Every time I get off of an airplane and need to connect to another flight, the well-trained and very well-intentioned airline attendant asks me, “What’s your flight number?”

I usually have to reply, “I don’t know, but I’m going to Nashville.”

Next comes fumbling. Her list seems to be organized by flight number. Mine (the passenger’s/customer’s) is not.

Customers think destinations.
Airlines think flight numbers.

To all the companies that are working on initiatives aimed at making life easier for their customers (while often inadvertently missing the mark) I’ve compiled a few easy tips to nudge your organization into what I call “outside-in” thinking, where the customer’s perspective guides decisions and makes life easier for everyone.

#1. What’s your flight number? (Described above)

INSPIRATION FOR IMPROVEMENT: There’s one last check that you should do before you initiate a customer-facing practice. Take on the role of your customer. Exit a flight in a state of mild Continue Reading…