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…
Critical Mass: Value from the RBC Framework
Nuclear physicists define the term, “critical mass” as the amount of fissile material whereby a nuclear reaction is self-sustaining. From that original definition, the construct is further developed along societal and political terms as a function of the environment and number of adopters and their interdependencies that create enough of a consensus for individual actions that sustains an undertaking.
In 1996, the author published the first of several case studies on a societal interaction model based on the Relationships, Behavior and Conditions (RBC) construct among economic actors. Previously the model was only in the domain of academia.
This blog addresses contemporary issues from the RBC perspective and whether in the present state they are sustainable or not. Many readers may be familiar with the “Innovation Adoption Curve.” RBC seeks to enlighten the causality of behaviors that cause movement towards the critical mass that generates movement along this diffusion curve.
Recent Posts
- Running Across an Open Field: Strategy for Disruptive Technology? November 19, 2019
- Lessons from the Seventies November 12, 2019
- Want – Like – Need October 24, 2019
- It’s the Economics Stupid! October 18, 2019
- In Defense of Humans—Machines Are Not Ready Yet October 1, 2019
Archives
Other Blogs Dr. Shemwell Authors
Dr. Shemwell is an author for the following 3rd party blogs.
Governing Energy Blog
From 2012 to the closure of PennEnergy in June 2016, Dr. Shemwell has authored a bi-weekly blog in partnership with PennEnergy. Governing Energy addresses contemporary management issues facing the global energy sector.
The complete set of Governing Energy Blogs are available in book form..
BTOES Insights
BTOES Insights is the content portal for Business Transformation & Operational Excellence opinions, reports & news. Dr. Shemwell is a contributor.
Consult 2050
Consult 2050 connects organizations with a wide range of consultants all around the world. The firm operates an online marketplace for consultancy services.
About the Author
Dr. Scott M. Shemwell has over 30 years technical and executive management experience primarily in the energy sector. He is the author of six books and has written extensively about the field of operations. Shemwell is the Managing Director of The Rapid Response Institute, a firm that focuses on providing its customers with solutions enabling Operational Excellence and regulatory compliance management. He has studied cultural interactions for more than 30 years—his dissertation; Cross Cultural Negotiations Between Japanese and American Businessmen: A Systems Analysis (Exploratory Study) is an early peer reviewed manuscript addressing the systemic structure of societal relationships.