http://www.tracycorley.com/Conversations Focused on Change and Growth.entcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:19:29 PDTBlogger http://www.blogger.com77125tcorley@tsuluwerks.comnoConversations Focused on Change and Growth.Tsuluviewshttp://feedburner.google.comhttp://www.tracycorley.com/2010/08/mckinstry-uses-strategy-string-to.htmlBusiness StrategyClean Tech/Sustainabilitytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:51:45 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-5230332266206911581Image by djwudi via FlickrWho would have thought that an HVAC supplier in the sleepy city of Seattle, Wash., would lead the nation in facilities management services and environmentally responsible policies? The team at McKinstry surely didn’t have that in mind when they launched in 1960. But they knew that two things would keep them relevant to the future of the building industry: holistic2010-08-04T22:51:45.572-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/07/kill-hourly-wage.htmlEconomic DevelopmentBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:06:36 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-924072887346379904In a previous post, I discussed why CEO compensation should be in the millions. However, the article did not address the disparity between executive and worker pay. Well, here's how to bridge and narrow the gap: kill the hourly wage. Hourly wages worked well for a manufacturing economy. They allowed organizations to break productivity into easily measurable units. To measure productivity in a 2010-07-16T13:06:36.896-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/07/product-failures-are-communications.htmlBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:31:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-7526647877787756540When the customer is the last one to be consulted, product development is doomed to fail. Just ask Microsoft. I'm not 100% tapped into their market research process when they design new products, but it seems like the 48-day market lifespan of the mis-aligned Kin device forgot product development 101: Respond to the needs of your customers. Nancy Xiao did a great job weighing the pros and cons 2010-07-07T14:31:00.215-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/06/never-say-never-about-future.htmlManagementLeadershipBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:38:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-4281121631921425940Not so long ago, in a client strategy session, the management team expressed great concern about the lack of diversity in revenue sources. The CEO asked the management team why they were so worried. Their organization offers a highly specialized service and, in the past, faced little to no competition. In spite of market bumps during the past 25+ years, their revenue has remained consistent or 2010-06-28T15:38:00.187-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/06/bps-and-other-ceos-should-be.htmlManagementLeadershipBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:32:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-3909282304527237371The gulf coast oil rig explosion and BP's slow response to the spill has brought many conversations about CEO compensation in recent months. Suddenly, every major CEO of for public, private, and nonprofit organizations have found themselves under the microscope. People all over are asking: should CEOs be paid millions for running organizations? I say yes. It's takes a talented, unique individual2010-06-21T15:32:00.198-07:002http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/06/thirteen-ways-washington-state-can-help.htmlEconomic DevelopmentSmall Business Advocacytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:04:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-5017533024529408237To continue our conversation about how to grow small businesses and create jobs in the US, below are a list of topics that were important to the participants in our February 9th, 2010 Council for Small Business meeting. Many thanks to Karen Pemerl of the Washington State Department of Commerce for compiling these notes. I have edited them to elaborate on the content of the conversation. 2010-06-16T14:04:00.611-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/06/ways-to-help-build-small-business.htmlEconomic DevelopmentSmall Business Advocacytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:24:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-1338366817248456581Last year at this time, we were discussing access to capital as the number one barrier to success for small businesses. Since then, it seems that small businesses have grown used to the lack of capital resources from traditional financial services institutions and have gotten creative in finding ways to finance growth and development. Access to capital still leaves a gaping hole in success for 2010-06-08T16:24:00.442-07:001http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/05/big-short-exposes-deception-and.htmlEconomic DevelopmentBook Reviewtcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Wed, 05 May 2010 14:15:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-4510073806137425344Book Review Lewis, Michael. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. , Hardbound: 264 pp. $27.95 I missed author Michael Lewis during his recent book tour stop in Seattle. He has lately received national recognition as author of the book that turned into the film, The Blind Side. After receiving his new book, The Big Short, it took me just a few pages to see how 2010-05-05T14:15:00.091-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/04/consider-requirements-of-mind-driven.htmlEconomic DevelopmentPolicyOur Global CommunityBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:45:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-8007017351972446188On 4/20/2010, I reported on how the Great Restructuring that we have been experiencing over the past two years reflects the adolescence of a mind-driven, mentis-facturing economy. But exactly what does that mean? Like the industrial revolution, we are undergoing a major shift in global economic drivers. I can only imagine how all the farmers of the 1800s felt as they watched their children leave2010-04-27T14:45:00.516-07:001http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/04/leading-way-to-recovery-and-tips-for.htmlEconomic DevelopmentPolicyMarketing StrategySmall Business Advocacytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:26:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-8960954348918529399 I lead conversations on small business growth and competitiveness as the Chair of the Council for Small Business at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. On 4/13/2010, Carl Gipson, Small Business Director at the Washington Policy Center, joined me to lead a discussion on recently passed Washington State legislation and its impact on the small business community's ability to lead our economic 2010-04-22T14:26:00.582-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/04/how-should-we-drive-economic-shift-from.htmlEconomic DevelopmentPolicyOur Global CommunityBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:12:20 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-2261450222642728215We all know that we've entered a new economy. The Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been renamed The Great Restructuring, and we're all starting to feel the effects. With the demise of the Industrial Age, our economic systems, business practices, and social structures are absorbing the realities of the Information Age. The western world's economy has shifted from producing goods with our hands to 2010-04-20T14:12:20.425-07:004http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/04/courageous-conversations-require-strong.htmlBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:32:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-5813808923397038021Douglas Conant, CEO & President of Campbell Soup Company, spoke at the White House Workplace Flexibility Conference on Wednesday. Conant was proud to see that his employees felt comfortable enough to have courageous conversations with their manager. These courageous conversations helped them shape an attractive workplace flexibility program. The Campbell Soup approach to workplace flexibility 2010-04-05T14:32:00.364-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/03/great-escapes-for-architecture-lovers.htmlBook Reviewtcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:35:36 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-52762952045170230Book Review Rosenfeld, Lucy D. and Marina Harrison. Architecture Walks: The Best Outings Near New York City. Rivergate Books (Rutgers University Press). Paperback: 288 pages. $19.99. Architecture Walks features architectural adventures within a 2-hour drive of New York City. With 288 pages of architectural gems such as the colonial Burlington County Courthouse to Frank Gehry's modern Richard B2010-04-06T23:35:36.304-07:001http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/03/workplace-flexibility-begins-with.htmlShameless You ProgramBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:15:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-3403465871443603496I would like to extend many thanks to Theresa Chambers of the Puget Sound Recognition Roundtable and Recognition Works for allowing me to lead a discussion on Shameless You! and Workplace Flexibility. At the forum on February 24, 2010, hosted by Snohomish County, we talked about how helping your workforce boost morale and build confidence helps human resource teams craft effective workplace 2010-03-22T14:15:00.454-07:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/03/just-what-is-strategy-anyway.htmlBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:15:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-8196578832068111878I'm getting a bit frustrated: it seems that there's a misconception in the business community about what strategy really means. This week alone, I've heard three different people confuse strategy with initiative, project, or strategic plan. The most appalling misuse of strategy came in the form of a conversation with a friend: she shared how her company relegated the low-performing people in 2010-03-15T14:15:00.239-07:003http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/03/help-others-fill-in-blanks-when-shaping.htmlBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:12:00 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-9203096105262717010On January 25, 2010,when The Wall Street Journal reported that strategy as we know it is dead, I knew that my new book, The Strategy String, was timely. Now, with Wired Magazine's about on compressed sensing titled "Fill in the Blanks", I realize that The Strategy String can mean survival for organizations looking for strategies that keep pace with rapid market changes. Compressed sensing is a 2010-03-08T14:12:00.222-08:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/03/strategy-string-available-on-amazoncom.htmlBusiness StrategyServices and Productstcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:01 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-6126957686602648196My new book, The Strategy String: An Organizational Primer for Tying Strategy to Performance, is now available for order on Amazon.com. This book on quickly and effectively setting strategies for organizations of all sizes provides guidelines for teams and clients in need of strategic planning. Order yours today. PS: Save $5 off the Amazon price when you order on our web site at 2010-03-08T14:00:01.004-08:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/02/small-business-brings-fresh-ideas-to.htmlSmall Business AdvocacyBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:42:08 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-8404661248303209956 On February 9, 2010, Business Solutions Manager Karen Pemerl joined the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce's Council for Small Business meeting to share what's new at the Washington State Department of Commerce. In this video, we heard about great initiatives that Washington State is implementing to fuel a job growing economy, and participants contributed great ideas on how state governments 2010-02-18T17:42:08.062-08:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/02/recognition-roundtable-presents.htmltcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:14:42 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-2470407031406950776Wed, Feb 24th, 2010 12:00 pm Bob Drewel Building, 1st Floor, east, Public Mtg Rm #1 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201 US Part One: Shameless You! We are fortunate to kick off our meeting with a presentation by Tracy Corley, Chief Strategist at Tracy A. Corley & Associates and Shameless You! Tracy's session, Shameless You! encourages employees to drop their shame so they can live, 2010-02-18T18:14:42.510-08:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/02/is-there-workers-comp-crisis-you-decide.htmlPolicySmall Business AdvocacyBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:01:00 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-6151877333177668543During a Friday morning legislative update with WashACE, we discussed a few issues including education, tax changes, and worker's compensation. We reviewed how the recent election in Massachusetts and tax changes in Oregon impact Washington legislative policy. For me, a few key items stood out that will have a major impact on small business. First, Washington business taxes comprise nearly 52% 2010-02-02T14:01:00.104-08:002http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/01/whats-so-good-about-going-green.htmlOur Global CommunityBusiness StrategyClean Tech/Sustainabilitytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:30:00 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-4705935148803465768I've been hearing a lot both for and against the green economy. From the positive side of the aisle, the green economy aims to bring better energy efficiency and environmental stewardship into the consciousness of the American people. The country lags far behind the efforts of many other industrialized nations, and the green economy represents one of the areas in which the United States has all 2010-01-20T20:30:00.629-08:001http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/01/rebuild-haiti-and-your-career-with.htmlOur Global Communitytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:08:21 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-9098620944624775793I usually don't talk much about our Shameless You! personal development program on the TsuluViews blog, but the current situation both at home and in Haiti demands that I do something. As I see what's happening in the current job market and with the tremendous suffering in Haiti, I realize that it's tough to have confidence when you don't have the basic tools needed for survival.To help our 2010-01-20T20:08:21.029-08:000http://www.tracycorley.com/2010/01/start-new-year-with-new-revenues.htmlBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:00:00 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-2212903566396326528As we've seen throughout 2009, our current economic climate has encouraged organizations to get creative. In my program The Profit Wrangler: Wrangling New Profits from Existing Assets, organizations identify their Golden Nuggets and the Action Lassos they need to generate new revenue streams. Golden Nuggets are the assets within an organization that have the potential to realize revenue for the 2010-01-05T14:00:00.682-08:002http://www.tracycorley.com/2009/12/few-quiet-trends-taking-forefront-for.htmlBusiness Strategytcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:02 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-2024719363586592114In 2010, I anticipate that there will be a couple "quiet" trends dominating the business landscape. If you have been waiting for our economy to return to business as usual, you will suffocate while holding your breath. "Business as usual" is gone for this millennium and a few under-reported trends lead in terms of economic and social recovery. Here are some of the many changes you can expect to 2009-12-17T14:00:02.216-08:004http://www.tracycorley.com/2009/12/tie-strategy-to-performance-with.htmltcorley@tsuluwerks.com (Tracy Corley)Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:40:00 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1361423437420591465.post-8123928940308558810I am excited to announce that on January 10, 2010, my new book The Strategy String will be shipping. The book is available for pre-order now on our web site. Here's a summary:Our economy is driven by small businesses and organizations. That has become increasingly evident in this last recession. Small organizations, those with fewer than 500 employees, accounted for 50.6% of the non-farm jobs in 2009-12-17T13:40:00.729-08:001nonadult