Home About Services Blog TOC References Contact
Nov
18

Avoiding 5 Competitive Intelligence Pitfalls

Tom Hawes Competitive Intelligence 2 comments

PizzaI would like to lose a few pounds. It would make me feel better, my pants would not be so snug and my blood pressure would go down. You would probably agree that these are laudable goals. So, a remarkably bad idea for me is to go somewhere that they serve chips and salsa. Or pizza. (Or a few other things.) It is just that certain things attract me so strongly that consuming them in moderation is difficult. Thus, because I cannot avoid these temptations, my weight loss goal is especially hard to reach (but I do enjoy mealtimes).

Of course, these foods are not completely bad. Maybe if I ate a few chips or only one slice of cheese pizza, I would do better. Perhaps I could eat other healthier foods more often and combine them with better exercise habits. I need the whole package to reach and maintain the correct weight. Whatever else I do, I especially need to be aware of the common pitfalls to avoid (goodbye to deep dish pizza).

In competitive intelligence, it is my experience and observation that we have pitfalls that inhibit us from reaching the desired goal. That goal, in my opinion, is to help strategy leaders make better decisions. Nevertheless, the pitfalls distract the competitive intelligence professional from usefully satisfying the needs of strategy decision-makers.

Here are my five (least) favorite pitfalls that should be avoided. I wonder if you agree with me.

  1. Read the rest of this entry

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
please wait...
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
CI techniques, Competitive Intelligence, senior management
Nov
03

The “Three Tool” Competitive Intelligence Professional

Tom Hawes Competitive Intelligence, Strategy Effectiveness 4 comments

baseballIn baseball, the ultimate player (leaving out the pitchers) has outstanding skills in five areas – running, throwing, fielding, hitting for average and hitting for power. A “five tool” player possesses all five skills. Few players earn that label.  Willie Mays and Barry Bonds are examples of players in this category. They were special because of their versatility and ability to affect a game in so many ways.

What about the “ultimate player” in Competitive Intelligence?

I submit that there are three fundamental categories of skills for competitive intelligence.

A “three tool” competitive intelligence professional will be competent all of these areas. When that is true, their value to their organization or clients is great. Admittedly, each category covers a multitude of skills. Moreover, mastering even one set of skills will make you valuable to someone. However, being proficient at all three makes you and your services standout.

Here are my three skill areas, or categories.

Read the rest of this entry

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
please wait...
Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +2 (from 4 votes)
business strategy, Competitive Intelligence
  • Archives

    • November 2010 (1)
    • September 2010 (4)
    • August 2010 (1)
    • July 2010 (3)
    • June 2010 (1)
    • May 2010 (5)
    • April 2010 (5)
    • March 2010 (4)
    • February 2010 (4)
    • January 2010 (6)
    • December 2009 (2)
    • November 2009 (2)
    • October 2009 (7)
    • September 2009 (6)
    • August 2009 (11)
    • July 2009 (9)
    • June 2009 (12)
    • May 2009 (6)
    • April 2009 (4)
    • March 2009 (12)
    • February 2009 (5)
  • Categories

    • Competitive Intelligence (94)
    • Early Warning (6)
    • Maintenance (1)
    • Organizational Development (13)
    • Strategy Effectiveness (56)
  • Recent Posts

    • The Hard Sell – Strategy to an Experimenter
    • Can You Answer This Question?
    • Competitive Intelligence’s Just Do Its
    • You Know What It is Like When …
    • The Three Basic Competitive Intelligence Questions
  • Tag Cloud

    Academy of Competitive Intelligence alignment analysis analytical techniques Apple approximations behavioral modeling Branding business development business strategy case studies change CI techniques Competitive Intelligence consulting decision making Early Warning Ed Tufte effective presentations evaluation facilitation failure signs future focus gap analysis graphical facilitation ideas infrastructure Innography integrity job listings management Marketing Michael Porter product marketing professional competence SCIP senior management SMB strategy Strategy Effectiveness strategy evaluation strategy implementation survey SWOT trap question
Strategically Thinking · coogee theme · 2008
RSS Feed · WordPress · TOP