Strategically Thinking Newsletter - May 2010

JTHawes Consulting

Issue 5 Volume 2 May 2010 www.jthawes.com

Clarify, Simplify and Focus

Greetings!

Tom Hawes Portrait

I write and talk extensively about Competitive Intelligence (CI) topics to many different business leaders in multiple industries. Consistently, there is confusion about what CI is, how it relates to business strategy and how to leverage it in their businesses.

My goal is to emphasize the basics. Hence, you will see a simplified message about all of my services in the coming months. I will focus on practical ways that I can help.

When you know someone that I should speak with, feel free to forward my contact information or let me know how to contact the.

Meanwhile, I recently asked you, the Strategically Thinking Newsletter readers, about the content that you preferred. The results are indicated below (with conclusions in the right column).

Newsletter Content

Newsletter Content

Finally, more of my CI articles have been published in the Competitive Intelligence Magazine from SCIP and the Intelligence Insights Newsletter from SLA.

How can I help you or someone that you know? Let's talk.

Blue Signature

Consulting: What exactly do I do to help others?

Inspiration

Many of your have told me that you are interested in my business and would be glad to help me help others if I could just explain what I do better. A simple, clear explanation - here goes.

I help my clients in five ways. There are examples on my website of specific help I have provided.

Knowledge - "here is something that you didn't know"
I bring experience and perspective

Process - "this is how you can accomplish more"
I explain how to use proven methods

Personal - "overcoming internal fears and barriers to success"
I help people to solve problems

Relational - "developing better, more productive relationships with your co-workers or team"
I model ways to work together well

Encouragement - "remembering what you are capable of doing"
I inspire a sense of what is possible

There is a simple eight question test to determine when you need this kind of help. Take the test and call me when I can help you or someone you know.

Competitive Intelligence is a Word Problem (remember math class)

Effective competitive intelligence involves complexity.

The bane of many math students is word problems. Why? Because word problems force them to deal with the messiness of real situations. Extra information is often included which means they have to sort out what is important versus what is extraneous.

Competitive intelligence is similarly messy. Read about eight basic and useful steps for solving competitive intelligence problems. Each step promotes a customer-centric, solution-oriented view. Further, these steps intentionally broaden the view of the competitive intelligence professional.

SLA - CI Division

(This article was originally published in the May 2010 issue of the Intelligence Insights newsletter from the Competitive Intelligence Division of the Special Libraries Association.)

CI Case Studies Commentators

A powerful lineup of CI professionals from around the world.

When you want the best answers, go to the experts. I am honored to have the contributions from many of these experts in the case studies commentaries. Their problem solving approaches are insightful ways to deal with complex CI issues. Read more about each of them on the Commentators page.

Case Studies Commentators

Interested in being a commentator? Read the guidelines and then contact me.

In This Issue

Consulting

CI Article

Commentators

Survey Results

My Services

Case Studies

Survey

Newsletter Survey Results

Thank you for responding to my recent newsletter survey. Here is what your feedback told me.

1. Give a simpler description of my services (see article below).

2. Continue providing strategy and CI content.

3. Emphasize case studies.

Simply Put - What I Can Do To Help

CI Case Studies

MQX Electronics:
CI Case Study for Ethics

I posted a case study for

MQX Electronics that raises various ethical issues regarding data collected about a competitor.

How should the data be used (if at all)?
How should "Patrick" respond to the Board pressure to deliver insights?
What other approaches might he have used?

______________________

Six Days To Delivery (continued)

Day 3 and Day 4 for the

Six Days To Delivery

case has been posted. These articles appeared first in my Strategically Thinking column in the Competitive Intelligence Magazine published by SCIP in May 2010.

August Jackson and Ellen Naylor continue to provide thoughtful commentary for each day of the six day project. Read and respond to their comments.

______________________

Nailen Witt Group Commentator

Valerie Shuman is the new invited commentator for the CI Case Studies effort. Valerie contributed to the Nailen Witt Group case. Read and respond to her perspective.

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Tom Hawes | JTHawes Consulting, LLC | +1.214.620.9366 | tom@jthawes.com

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