Blue Summit Blog » General Business

Complimentary Strategy Audits

Konrad — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:41:02 +0000

For a limited time, we are offering existing and potential clients a complimentary strategy audit. We will work with you to understand and evaluate:

The quality and completeness of your existing vision and strategy
The robustness of your existing strategy to various recession scenarios
How well you are on track to achieve your desired goals

We then work with you to explore options for filling the gaps to improve your vision and strategy, and be better prepared for whatever this recession has in store.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Konrad at 415-927-8070 or via the Contact Us page.

Recessions Cause Industry Shakeups

Konrad — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:19:15 +0000

Try as we might, we can never accurately predict the timing or depth of a recession. The best we can hope for is a set of scenarios with probabilities associated with them. As the Nobel laureate Paul Samuelson once said, “Economists have correctly predicted nine of the last five recessions.”

One thing that seems clear about recessions is that they cause significant industry shakeups. Some companies that were leaders in their industry fall from their heights, and others rise to take their places. McKinsey compiled a data set on the last recession (2000-01), and found that nearly 40% of leading U.S. industrial companies toppled from the first quartile in their sectors during that recession. About a third of leading U.S. banks fell as well. During the same period, 15% of companies that had not been industry leaders prior to the recession vaulted into the top quartile during it.

The are many reasons why some companies lose leadership positions during recessions and others gain them, but it generally comes down to smart planning and decision-making. See my article Strategy in a Downturn for best practices companies can use to maintain or grab leadership positions in their industries.

Blue Summit Launches!

Konrad — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:28:28 +0000

After many long months of planning and execution, we’re proud to say “Hello, World!”. We’re here to make our stamp on the world of business. We’re passionate about creative collaboration, visualizing the future, making a difference, building effective teams, authentic leadership, personal visioning, and environmental & social stewardship. We’re all about integrating the disciplines of strategic planning, creative visioning, and leadership development into what we call Strategic Leadership. We’re busting out the Champagne! Check out the new website at www.BlueSummit.net!