Forget the obsession with planning methodologies—there are only two things you need to consider to get the job done.

What you already know, and what you need to learn.

Making the distinction between strategy and planning is the same as distinguishing your vacation destination from the route you'll travel.

It takes two very different mindsets.

I get a lot of calls from leaders whose businesses are in crisis. The first step is clear—halt the slide towards disaster.

It's the second step that separates the winners from the also-rans.

Big wins don't require big investments. Sometimes, the simplest things can improve your customer reviews. And the fact that many businesses overlook this gives you an opportunity to stand out.

Business Technology does two things well:

1. Insight generation—plumbing information to generate better decisions.

2. Action acceleration—automation and tools to make work easier.

There is nothing else.

Can we agree that your business performs better when everyone's approach is thoughtful, somewhat consistent, and continuously improved? And that making the necessary changes is not easy?

Technology has always inspired change. But change never happens overnight.

If process prescribes the way things should be done, and innovation is all about finding a better way, how can the two co-exist?

I meet too many leaders who are struggling with technology in their business.

If you're to achieve impactful results, your first challenge is to understand your technology comfort zone.

Don't allow your the industry be defined solely by its leaders—you too can make headlines without Silicon Valley budgets and PR home runs.

Too much time and money is spent on technology that falls short of its goals. Projects flounder, products miss the mark, and leaders become risk averse. The good news is that success rates can be increased with two simple tweaks ...

Your businesses has a few key pulses—critical activities that reflect the speed at which you meet customer demands and measure your progress. Do you know what they are?

Awareness of the everyday experiences we take for granted is a great trigger for innovation in your business.

New technology is rarely predictable. But the way it creeps into our lives follows a very clear pattern.

Here's the sequel to my piece on creativity and your next reinvention ... how to avoid systems implementation failures.

There’s a typical thread to implementing new business systems which I call Systems Implementation 101—list what’s wrong today, interpret this list as the requirements for the new system, find a platform that could do the job, partner with people who build what you ask for, build, test and go live. I’ve seen hundreds of projects that set out this way and my response is always the same—add these four steps or you’ll miss the boat.

Ever been in over your head? How did you handle a commitment that would make or break your prospects?

As I was wrapping up a CEO workshop on Value, I noticed one of the attendees sitting distraught in her chair. I went over and asked if there was anything wrong.

She looked up from her notes—"I just copy pasted my business".

Have you ever struggled to figure out what kind of help to give your team? What did you do?

I have a pet hate for "best practices". Not the concept, but the term. There are areas in every business where being the best is valuable. But most often, better is good enough.

Change initiatives can span months, often years. Team sentiment follows predictable patterns through the inevitable ups and downs. Understanding the psychology helps us all manage.