Tumultuous Decade: What’s Next for Oil & Gas?
April 20, 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of one of the most horrific incidents in the upstream oil and gas sector—Deepwater Horizon. In addition to the tragic loss of eleven lives, the sector forever changed. Immediate restructuring of federal oversight resulted in the establishment of…
Want – Like – Need
Years ago, as part of a never-ending series of company reorganizations, a team of our change management consultants headed to the ‘field’ to interview users. Upon their return, they presented an extensive list of technology investments deemed necessary to remain competitive. Their list focused on…
It’s the Economics Stupid!
Since it was first uttered in the early 1990s, the phrase “It’s the economy stupid” has been used and misused extensively.[i] Let’s squander the lexicon one more time. The US ‘silly’ political season is well underway and forecast to last almost 13 more months—no telling…
Home Improvement Case Study: What’s the Value Proposition of Service Providers and Why Does It Matter to My Business?
This blog is focused on business issues and not retail services such as home repair/upgrade. However, in recent months this writer has been in numerous discussions regarding the development and presentation to customers of a Value Proposition. This is an ongoing issue for each organization,…
Elevator: Going Up or Going Down?
True Story! A couple of decades ago when I was the sales manager of a technology line of business that was part of a much larger organization, an excited young sales representative rushed into my office. He just had to tell me that he just…
You Have 10 Minutes: Maybe
Over the past couple of weeks this writer has been part of several conversations regarding the value proposition of technology for established as well as startup companies and how to articulate it. This remains a tough subject and we have been addressing it over the…
Beat the Market: Can Operational Excellence Increase EPS?
In a recent Houston Chronicle article, its author puts forth the premise that while oil and gas companies should do well in the stock market this year, don’t expect the energy services sector to fare as well.[i] As those who are either in the sector…
Resolution: Celebrating a New Operational start one more time
It is hard to believe we are now 19 years into the century. Seems like only yesterday we were worried whether the lights would stay on at Y2K. Each year many of us promise to do better at a list of things, some personal and…
Selling Your Economic Value Proposition to the C Suite: Translating Technology to the Language of Business
The challenge of building a Business Case for CAPEX investments with high intangible content, i.e., IoT, professional services and operational excellence, remains difficult. Many also argue that disruptive new business models are making the old ways irrelevant. Hence, we simply must make the investment to…
Organizational Predators: Jackals, Hyenas, and Wolves in Managerial Clothing
Prologue In the author’s August 2004 edition of the then, Executive Briefing Newsletter (early online delivery) we addressed the impact on the firm of managerial misbehavior. This article was one of a list of challenges put forth to that generation of management. Sadly, recent events…
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