The difference between a good or bad matrix is whether the tension between different perspectives is creative or destructive. So how do we make a matrix more effective? Everyone needs to know what matters in why in an organization. Leaders and teams need to build differential strengths and then work together to make the best possible decisions.

Key Takeaways:

• The fundamental difference between effective and less effective matrix organizations is whether the tension between different perspectives is creative or destructive.
• Everyone needs to know what matters and why. Don’t try to do anything else until you’ve got that set.
• They allow leaders and teams to build differential strengths and then work together to make the best possible decisions and scale enterprises with a creative tension that they could not do on their own.

“The fundamental difference between effective and less effective matrix organizations is whether the tension between different perspectives is creative or destructive.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2017/01/10/%EF%BB%BF12-ways-to-make-matrix-organizations-more-effective/

Innovation in technology is the biggest challenge that companies face. However, it can also be a good thing for companies as well. There are several things a company must do in order to successfully beat the challenged posed by innovation. They must execute their business model to the best of their ability. They must also make improvements and keep improving on them. If a business is able to keep up with the trends in technology innovation, it will have success.

Key Takeaways:

• Innovation is an imperative. Fortune 500 CEOs cited dealing with the rapid pace of technological change as their “single biggest challenge.”
• More than half of CEOs in a PWC global survey ranked R&D and innovation as generating the greatest return.
• Innovation is often thought of as the “B” process, which is to improve the organization’s ability to perform A.

“In my experience, however, too few are being innovative in how they innovate. This is the difference between buying fish and learning how to fish.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2017/01/10/abcs-of-innovation/

With a lot of international students coming to the USA they are all looking for one thing and that is the best colleges. Forbes has recently made a list of the best colleges for international students and its great! Starting with number one: Babson College in Babson Park, MA. Followed by Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA.

Key Takeaways:

• best schools for international students are mostly in the east coast
• many of the schools in this list has a high international graudation rate of 80% or higher
• these schools also have a 10% or above international enrollment rate

“Not which sure American universities and colleges are the very best for international students? Find out right here.”

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eilh45eifii/schools-for-all-nations/

Smaller businesses are taking initiative to become green and are wanting renewable energy developers to help them obtain renewable energy. The only problem is as of right now individual commercial and industrial customers aren’t generating the type of demand that can propel big energy projects into the market. This could change in the future as more and more small businesses push for renewable energy.

Key Takeaways:

• The guys at Google and Facebook, for example, are stimulating the need for wind and solar energy that they are using to feed their electricity-starved data centers.
• The developers of those energy projects, in return, are getting solid customers that are buying their output at a fixed price over a certain period of years.
• But individual commercial and industrial customers aren’t generating the type of demand that can propel big energy projects into the market. Now, though, that may change.

“Green electricity sales in the form of voluntary power purchase agreements grew by 4% in 2015, adds the National Energy Renewable Laboratory.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2017/01/10/smaller-businesses-want-renewable-energy-developers-to-spread-the-green/

Some people think you have to have new and big ideas for big growth and big change. Every year people debate what changes better or worse is ahead. We have an opportunity to reinvent existing things in America. We need to reinvent and grow those opportunities that are already there. America needs to become more tolerant of risk to get ahead.

Key Takeaways:

• According to the author, the reasons for this problem are various – from growing “hurdles for transforming ideas into commercially successful products” to costly, complex and failure-prone advances in science, medicine and technology to an aversion to real trial and error to government regulation.
• Whether you agree with some or all of these reasons, the author argues, one thing is certain:
• America needs to become “more tolerant of risk to help overcome the hurdles to innovation” and “the pursuit of what’s next”

“As the new year approached, discussions with family and friends turned as usual to thoughts about the future. But of course 2016 was anything but usual.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2017/01/10/3-reasons-companies-are-solving-for-the-wrong-opportunities/

The new year is here and some of us may have make more money with our business as one of your new year resolutions. First start by analyzing your data and figuring out where your business is coming from. Ask why you make more money with some products then you do with others. After that make an action plan to sell more products this year.

Key Takeaways:

• Some products and services are more profitable than others. Some customers are more profitable than others.
• Every entrepreneur knows this, but many lose sight of it as their companies grow. The day-in, day-out drive to make sales—any sales—overwhelms other priorities.
• Depending on your business, you may want to break your sales down by product or service. Or you may want to break them down by customer.

“The key is a set of simple techniques that any company can use, and that are virtually guaranteed to boost your bottom line.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/fotschcase/2017/01/10/simple-tools-to-make-more-money-in-2017/

The world of technology grows stronger and wiser everyday. It is purely amazing of all the advances that have been achieved with technology. Being able to talk to your phone, computer or even television and have your commands met in a successful way is truly amazing. With the accomplishments being made today there is just no telling what these amazing scientist will come up with next. We will just have to wait and see and enjoy the ride.

Key Takeaways:

• Artificial intelligence, voice recognition, virtual reality and internet of things are converging in ways that portend major changes in the way we will interact 24/7.
• Consciously or otherwise, often in slippery slope fashion, we have individually opened the kimono to our personal world in exchange for seeming convenience.
• The pace of technological change continues its inexorable march forward, with the pace steadily clicking faster.

“Voice is quickly becoming the competitive battlefield. Allegedly 700 apps were released during CES for Alexa, from companies as diverse as Ford, Lenovo and Dish TV.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bradauerbach/2017/01/10/several-trends-you-could-not-miss-at-ces-here-they-are/

You know you must create a vision of your successful business. Without one, you won’t know where you’re headed. Once you have one, you can use it to reverse engineer a business plan to attain it. The first step is to write down where you want to go. We call this your vision or mission. There are actually two visions you need to develop: one from a customer perspective and one from a business perspective.

Key Takeaways:

• What Bill knows, and loves teaching, is that most businesses are approaching their ‘next level’ growth backwards.
• Every individual has strengths and weaknesses, and when an individual’s weaknesses are the focal point of their career, it’s incredibly difficult to reach any type of goal, let alone a large growth goal.
• In addition to that, you would never speak Chinese to a Russian woman, so in learning to speak the language of success, you must also be sure that you are talking to the right person.

“At this point in business, we’ve all heard of at least one business coach, or possibly even worked with one, who had a million ideas about what you need to do right now to be successful.”

http://www.inc.com/tracy-leigh-hazzard/how-to-reverse-engineer-your-business-growth.html

The retail consultancy Verdict believes further tech price rises will follow. “These will come sooner rather than later for those who have not hedged currency far in advance or for whom there is little flexibility in operational costs to mitigate currency fluctuations,” said Andrew Hall. “Retailers cannot be fully expected to absorb the costs incurred by currency volatility in the wake of Brexit. “As such, price rises are likely to impact a number of products. “For some markets, such as clothing and footwear, this will see a return to inflation after a period of deflation.”

Key Takeaways:

• Hilton and Korski agreed that the best path forward would be an open Brexit, but Prime Minister Theresa May’s administration does not seem to be headed in that direction.
• There are people who are deeply uncomfortable with the progress of change,” Korski said. “The Leave side unleashed some terrible demons in our society.”
• And although Korski agreed that the U.K. will likely close itself off from important trade deals and not access the global economy, he and Hilton differed drastically about the motivations that drove Brexit voters to leave

“Hilton cited economic factors, saying that the tech industry is in part responsible for disrupting traditional employment and leaving many people behind.”

https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/06/whats-next-for-tech-companies-in-the-brexit-debate/?ncid=rss

For those of us with a constant thirst for education, Stanford University is currently offering online courses this Fall. These courses will be hosted on two new learning platforms, designed and developed by Stanford engineers and faculty members. To make education more fun and interactive, they’ll feature exciting tools such as video lectures, discussion forums, peer assessments and team projects, just to name a few.

Key Takeaways:

• Title implies that Steve is negatively affected by Stanford. Incubators are for infants vegetation and alien specimens.
• Entrepreneurship courses seem counter-intuitive as entrepreneurship implies forging your own path- not being instructed by others in an institution.
• Steve is wordy on twitter and while this site may hold tremendous value- the format/design is counter-intuitive and off-putting.

“Stanford is an incubator with dorms.”

https://steveblank.com/2016/10/06/there-are-145-entrepreneurship-courses-at-stanford/