Thursday, January 31, 2008

How Canon Got Its Flash Back


- The Innovative Turnaround Tactics of Fujio Mitarai'
Author: Nikkei, translated by Mark Schreiber and Aaron Martin Cohen
ISBN: 0-470-82123-X


If there were prizes for clever book titles, How Canon Got Its Flash Back would certainly be short-listed for a Best Book Title Award. But behind the amusingly apt title there is the serious story of Canons recent roller coaster ride. The company was one of Japans great success stories in the 1980s, approached the brink of financial disaster in the 1990s, and then turned the business around to re-achieve global supremacy in the past few years. The key to this recent success has been the strong personal leadership of Canons President and CEO, Fujio Mitarai. - Keith Hall


This book discusses the East-West style management strategies of its current president Fujio Mitarai (nephew of the founder, Takeshi Mitarai) that have turned Canon into a winner despite an increasingly dreary global economy. Mitarai was chosen as one of the world's top 25 managers in 2001 by leading US magazine BusinessWeek. Since taking office in 1995, Mitarai was viewed as a model for executives of large corporation throughout the world.
More information

Monday, January 28, 2008

Pick the Right Box to Think In

Dan and Chip Heath make a point on the value of boundaries: "We're always told to think outside the box. But it's about time someone spoke up for the box. Because, paradoxically, thinking inside the box can spark creativity, not squelch it. It takes options off the table, but it also dramatically improves the chances that your team will hit the target. So maybe you don't need to think out of the box. Maybe you just need a new one to think in."

Like lines on the field, boxes can be constraints that focus and liberate our constructive choices in playing the great game of business. True empowerment remains freedom within limits, not total freedom. Not even CEOs are totally free to act--they have stakeholders and legal constraints that create the sandbox they play in. Help define the limits and focus of your people and then let them soar.

Read on ...

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Write a Creative Marketing Plan in 7 Sentences

Our Guerrilla Marketing coach explains the quickest way to create an effective marketing plan, plus 7 ways to ensure its success.

Read on ...

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Fundraising ideas

Looking for fundraising ideas? Here is something a little different ...

Using images in fundraising

Monday, January 07, 2008

Under What Influence?


What do executives consider when making a decision? What motivates an executive to get involved in one activity or initiative at the expense of another? Who does the executive look to for advice -- and who does he or she ignore? CCL's Pete Hammett reveals seven myths and paradoxes that influence today's senior leaders. (more...)