Posts Tagged ‘Osprey Associates’

Contingency Thinking

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”                                                                                          ~Dwight Eisenhower

Meta-planning

As more information comes to light about the Special Ops mission in Abbottabad, Pakistan we’re reminded of the value of effective contingency planning in conducting high-risk maneuvers. Military analysts will someday reconstruct in detail the planning measures taken by the JSOC team, and we’ll learn how this team of specialists succeeded despite the challenges they faced.

For now we can only speculate about the risks and uncertainties facing the planners at various decision points. But we do know that the mission’s tactical planners had to consider two questions at every juncture: What can go wrong here, and what do we do about it?

These aren’t the only questions the planners had to pursue. They have to question the intelligence they’re using and they have to examine their own assumptions. Guarding against groupthink is a first order consideration. These “meta-planning” aspects of the exercise are as vital as formulating the action plan itself.

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Posted in Business Practices, Collaboration, Planning | 6 Comments »

International Rules of Engagement

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

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Paris Urban Pattern

I’ve recently noticed a subtle but perceptible attitude shift among Americans working in foreign markets. My overseas colleagues are noticing, too. American business people, they say, are displaying more thoughtfulness than usual. U.S. companies operating overseas seem less inclined to approach global business as though its epicenter is in New York or Palo Alto.

It’s too soon to call this a new Zeitgeist, but change is in the air. The global economic crisis, which has its roots in the U.S., may be partially responsible. I think the new vibe is also influenced by Washington’s new tone in its approach to global  affairs.  As an American doing business abroad, this is promising.

Historically, many American firms have approached business from a decidedly ethnocentric perspective–more so than many of our European rivals.  U.S. companies have missed opportunities as a result.

Things seem to be moving in a better direction now.

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Posted in Business Practices, Collaboration, Emerging Markets, International Business, Relational competency, Sub-Sahara Region, West Africa, What's Next? (WILD CARD) | 1 Comment »

Celebrating Our African Adventure

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

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Ex Africa semper aliquid novi — Out of Africa always something new. ~Pliny the Elder

This week marks my company’s 3rd anniversary of working in Africa within our emerging markets service practice. Helping companies in the region to understand and serve the needs of their customers has been enriching on a personal level.  I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the growth of the sub-Sahara’s nascent service industry and I marvel at its favorable impact on a growing number of people in the region.

The ascendant mobile industry illustrates the point.  On a continent where few people have landlines due to the high cost of installing cabling, cell phones are bridging the communications gap. In many sub-Saharan markets, like Ghana where we work, mobile growth rates have been approaching 50% annually. While less than 20% have mobile phones now, hundreds of millions of Africans are expected to get handsets in the next few years. Keep in mind that this is a continent of almost a billion people. That’s a lot of potential new subscribers.

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Posted in Emerging Markets, Sub-Sahara Region, Telecommunications, West Africa | 2 Comments »