The Blog
Long-form essays, field notes, and frameworks from the FIRMSconsulting team — published weekly.
All posts
Published weekly-
The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils Aren’t Sports Organizations
The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils Aren’t Sports Organizations The next big theme is titled, “The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils Aren’t Sports Organizations.” I know many people are going to say, “But, Michael, what are you talking about? That’s an NBA team and an NHL team. Of course, they’re sports organizations.” This is building on the…
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Immigration patterns, Racial Diversity and Age Diversity
Immigration patterns, Racial Diversity and Age Diversity The other big thing we’re seeing in the news today is how COVID-19 has changed work patterns and immigration patterns and how it impacts racial diversity and age diversity of the workforce. One of the big trends is that people from Brazil, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines are…
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Global Trade Issues & ROI calculation
Global Trade Issues & ROI calculation The next big topic is around global trade issues and ROI calculation, and that’s a huge topic considering what’s happening with China, the US, and recently in the Suez Canal. Hats off to the Dutch salvage company that was able to move the ship along and get global trade…
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If It Bleeds It Leads – Why Is It That News Costs More Than TV shows?
If It Bleeds It Leads – Why Is It That News Costs More Than TV shows? The first big theme this week is called, “If it bleeds it leads – Why is it that news costs more than TV shows?” I picked that title to explain the big concept we’ve seen over the last few…
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Common Mistake – There’s Something Wrong with the World
Common Mistake – There’s Something Wrong with the World It’s important to realize that all of these are big, important strategy themes. At the beginning, I said I wanted to talk about how you need to use the insights and the training. At FIRMSconsulting, we always say we train leaders who have the fortitude, willpower and…
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CEO of Danone Learns That Being Good is Not Good Enough
CEO of Danone Learns That Being Good is Not Good Enough The next big theme is about how Danone’s CEO has just learned that being good is not good enough. If you follow the saga of Danone, it has branded itself as the socially responsible consumer packaged goods company, or as they call it outside of the…
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Las Vegas and the Ugly Truth about Diversification
Las Vegas and the Ugly Truth about Diversification The next big theme I want to talk about is: “Las Vegas and the Ugly Truth about Diversification.” I used to live in Las Vegas, and I love it there. It’s wonderful, beautiful—an amazing city. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can…
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Zack Snyder’s Justice League Movie Recut Is a Brilliant Strategy
Zack Snyder’s Justice League Movie Recut Is a Brilliant Strategy The next big theme—and a very exciting and entertaining theme—is the fact that Zack Snyder’s Justice League has just hit HBO Max. I’m as excited as anyone to see four hours of this monumental epic. But if you’ve been following what has happened, you know…
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AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and the Unspoken Truth about Strategy
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and the Unspoken Truth about Strategy The first big theme is called, “AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and the Unspoken Truth about Strategy.” As you may know, the United States has auctioned off many licenses for wireless spectrum to be able to use the 5G standard. This means that the US is preparing to…
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What is the value of an automotive brand?
What is the value of an automotive brand? The third big strategy topic comes from the automotive sector, titled, “Big Value Chain Profit Pool Shifts Are Painful.” It’s like going to a dentist to have a root canal without any anesthesia. I’m going to pin this entire conversation around a sub-question: What is the value…
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Allowing the best technology to bubble up
Allowing the best technology to bubble up The next big topic is the massive interest in electric vehicles. Kudos to Elon Musk—he wasn’t the only one, but he was a big part of making electric cars mainstream, not just in the media and in consumer sentiment but as part of policy-making circles around the world.…
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Why Is the Only Labor Cost Strategy is Elimination of Labor Costs?
Why Is the Only Labor Cost Strategy is Elimination of Labor Costs? The next big topic, and it’s probably one of the biggest topics we’re seeing, is a question: Why is the only labor cost strategy is elimination of labor costs? In my entire career—from my time as a business analyst to manager, partner, senior…