100 GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS • 179- Listen to customers, employees, and people who know the
business. Create a culture of good critics, and be aware that
managers can become out of touch, even within their own
organization. - Learn Six Sigma—it can improve costs and service for customers,
by providing a disciplined way to make process improvements. - Recognize the need to be “problem curious,” constantly looking
for ways to differentiate and improve. - Provide a clear, exciting, compelling vision of what the future will
look like. People value a guiding light, as it provides certainty. - Invest in the future and innovate. In 2005, two-thirds of Xerox’s
revenues came from products launched within the previous
two years. - Be entrepreneurial—fi nd ways to sell products and control
costs. - Manage cash.
- Remember that strong leadership is essential. A business relies
on its people—and people need to be aligned around a common
set of goals and plans.