http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/stefansternhttp://www.ft.com/rss/comment/columnists/stefansternFT.com - Columnists, Stefan Sternen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.client.support@ft.com (Client Support)Mon, 2 Nov 2009 22:03:25 +0000Mon, 9 Nov 2009 22:28:43 +0000Newspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/stefanstern(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/49b28e4c-c7e0-11de-8ba8-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/49b28e4c-c7e0-11de-8ba8-00144feab49a.htmlWhat happens at branches of Little Chef when Blumenthal and his camera crew are not there? That is the question that matters, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 2 Nov 2009 22:03:25 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/d57bebe0-c27b-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d57bebe0-c27b-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.htmlStrategy has changed. While eternal truths – about market position and scale – endure, a more dynamic approach is needed, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:12:06 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/7b1f19cc-bcf6-11de-a7ec-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7b1f19cc-bcf6-11de-a7ec-00144feab49a.htmlManagers can underestimate the difficulties of turning around business practices writes Stefan Stern Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:35:30 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3bed58a-b7dc-11de-8ca9-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3bed58a-b7dc-11de-8ca9-00144feab49a.htmlThere are big prizes to be won by companies that lose the fixation on date of birth and instead focus on what people want and need now, writes Stefan Stern Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:27:02 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cd59334-b1df-11de-a271-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cd59334-b1df-11de-a271-00144feab49a.htmlLeading managers do not wait for crises to concentrate their minds – successful strategies will have left them better placed than their competitors, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 5 Oct 2009 22:48:17 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/be275936-ac5d-11de-a754-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=f4ca5092-ebd8-11dd-8838-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/be275936-ac5d-11de-a754-00144feabdc0.htmlManagers might find Lord Turner's recent remarks about 'socially useless' financial innovation a useful prompt to reassess their priorities, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:58:27 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/38d4d3a8-a6f4-11de-bd14-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=f4ca5092-ebd8-11dd-8838-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/38d4d3a8-a6f4-11de-bd14-00144feabdc0.htmlWe need tough, strong, confident leaders. But how can we prevent them from spiralling out of control, wonders Stefan Stern Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:12:23 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/18d92402-9667-11de-84d1-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/18d92402-9667-11de-84d1-00144feabdc0.htmlWhen it comes to retaining good people, or simply attracting new ones, your image and reputation count, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:17:49 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/454ba852-90e0-11de-bc99-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/454ba852-90e0-11de-bc99-00144feabdc0.htmlThe public sector has no monopoly on bad procurement. Waste and incompetence beset the private sector as well, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:44:42 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/83ec5408-8b45-11de-9f50-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83ec5408-8b45-11de-9f50-00144feabdc0.htmlOrganisations should not be trying to maximise revenue but instead should be more customer-focused, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:35:18 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f529f0d0-85f0-11de-98de-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f529f0d0-85f0-11de-98de-00144feabdc0.htmlAs the economic recovery starts to take hold, managers must not forget that new approaches are required, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:29:10 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/55bd76d6-8058-11de-bf04-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/55bd76d6-8058-11de-bf04-00144feabdc0.htmlAll is not fair in love, war and business, and a competitive spirit never hurt anybody, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 3 Aug 2009 23:24:26 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/d867f446-7ac5-11de-8c34-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d867f446-7ac5-11de-8c34-00144feabdc0.htmlForget call centres – systems thinkers see the world differently: they start with customers and what they actually want, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:12:44 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/91fcf4c2-7546-11de-9ed5-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/91fcf4c2-7546-11de-9ed5-00144feabdc0.htmlIt's not just that markets have changed. Your organisation has changed. You may have all been through a near-death experience, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:26:45 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/aafb0348-6fb9-11de-bfc5-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fstefansternhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aafb0348-6fb9-11de-bfc5-00144feabdc0.htmlWhile networks of outsiders are a fashionable concept, those looking for innovation may find it closer to home, within the organisation itself, writes Stefan Stern Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:14:05 +0100