
David Wyld
Founding member
Bio
Professor, Consultant, Doer. Founder/Publisher of The IDEA Publishing (http://www.theideapublishing.com/) & Modern Business Press (http://www.modernbusinesspress.com)
Stories (282/0)
“And Do What?”: Why These Should Be the Three Most Important Words in Your Life and Career
Introduction: Two Magic Words - “It Depends!” One thing is for certain. Ask any consultant - usually loosened up after a few beers - what their “go-to” move is, and more than likely, you will hear what can be the several thousands of dollars - or much, much more - worth of wisdom that companies will pay highly for today. Every consultant has an area of expertise. Otherwise, what would they consult about (now no, we all know that doesn’t stop some people, now does it?).
By David Wyldabout 15 hours ago in Unbalanced
The "Go Big" Strategy for Colleges and Universities
College is more and more perceived as the pathway to a good career, even at a time when this pathway is being challenged on every front in a fast-transforming world in which institutions have struggled to keep up with the pace of change. Can colleges and universities change the way they market themselves to - and serve - a changing customer base with changing needs and wants out of the “college experience,” and if not, what does the future hold for the higher education industry? In this article, the author, himself a college professor and management consultant, offers his perspective on how colleges and universities must change in order to provide meaningful - and yes, customer-pleasing - experiences to be able to survive - and thrive - into the future.
By David Wyld4 days ago in Education
- Top Story - December 2023
The Tale of the Two Dollar Pizza BoxTop Story - December 2023
Introduction Two dollars. Most often, two dollars is not going to make the difference between “winning” and “losing” in business…but it sure can be! $2 can be the difference between making a profit and a loss on a specific transaction… and on a specific customer interaction. Two dollars can also be the difference between retaining a customer and losing a customer for good. In that instance, that two dollars is really worth a whole lot more than just two simple one-dollar bills. In fact, that two dollars can end-up costing the organization a far more than just two bucks, perhaps hundreds, thousands, or even more! If you lose a customer, and his/her/their business and thus, the future revenue stream you could have garnered from that individual/entity, you can cost your enterprise a whole lot more - many, many multiples of two dollars!
By David Wyld6 days ago in Feast
Red Lobster Meets Homer Simpson: A Lesson in Pricing for All
Introduction We Americans are known around the world for a lot of things. Our generosity. Our ingenuity and creativity. Our “can do” spirit. Our willingness to stand up for freedom. Our unique brand of football. Our guns. And yes, our gluttony.
By David Wyld7 days ago in Feast
Training Days…for Days and Days and Days!
Introduction Ah, it’s the fourth quarter. In what has now become one of America’s great sporting traditions, football players and their fans hold up four fingers to the sky - often eight, counting the digits on both their hands in the air. The goal of raising all of these hands with their fingers extended in the air: It is to let everyone in the stadium know exactly what time it is. In short, it’s time to get serious - damn serious - whether you are ahead, or behind, in the game. If you’re winning, the coaches, the players, and the fans know how important it is to “close things out” and win the game. On the other hand, if you’re losing, it’s time to “mount a comeback” and try to put your team in a position to win. Either way, everyone knows that the fourth quarter is “crunch time.” It’s where the game is one or lost, and with everything on the line, careers can be decided in an instant.
By David Wyld12 days ago in Journal
Are You Worth a Walmart Price…or an Airport Price?
Overview Sometimes, one social media post can teach you an important lesson. Yes, for all the time wasted on Twitter (or X, or whatever it is today), on Instagram, on Snapchat, on TikTok, or for us “of a certain age,” who are on Facebook, every once and a while, you can still land upon a real nugget of wisdom in the sea of dreck - and yes, sometimes even hate and porn - that is waaaaaaay too much of social media today! And, of course, for us “business”-types, LinkedIn is supposed to be the platform for “bidness” to be done and for jobs - and employees - to be found. And yet, it too has turned into all too often being a site where you are spammed with business and investment opportunities, and yes, some folks are even “looking for love” on LinkedIn.
By David Wyld18 days ago in Journal
The Age of “Wood in” Advertising
Introduction Yes, I am a strategic management professor who is “of a certain age.” So, sometimes my reference points can be a bit dated, no matter how hard I strive to keep up with the times. In conversations with students, colleagues, and clients, I know that I’m going to miss some references and not quite “get” what is so funny - or alternatively - horrible about a story, an advertisement, a social media post, etc. And at the same time, I know that some of my references from my youth, young adulthood, and now, even my parenthood days won’t resonate with today’s students who were born after September 11th and consulting clients who may not have been alive to see the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
By David Wyld22 days ago in Journal
- Top Story - November 2023
Cryptonation: The Rise of Cryptocurrency Investments in Americans’ Investment Mix Top Story - November 2023
Introduction Football fans worldwide remember the 2022 Super Bowl as one of the best championship games ever. In the history of the Roman Numeral-enumerated National Football League (NFL) championship games, Super Bowl LVI - that's number 56 to you and me - stands out for many reasons. The Los Angeles Rams finally won their elusive first Super Bowl. Sean McVay became the youngest Super Bowl-winning coach ever. Matthew Stafford, who long toiled in virtual anonymity as the quarterback of the seemingly forever losing (until this year!) Detroit Lions. And yes, Joe Burrow solidified his star status and the Cincinnati Bengals gained a whole lot of respect in a valiant losing effort in a game that was literally decided on the final play of the game.
By David Wyld26 days ago in Trader
Cash is (Almost) Dead
Introduction I must admit that I am a strategic management consultant and professor “of a certain age.” As such, I have to guard against falling into what might be academically called “old fart stories” and telling students/clients about the way things used to be - which, of course, plays no bearing whatsoever on the way things operate today and will in the future. Yes, those of us in our 50s, 60s, and 70s are the last generations that will really remember a marketplace where “cash was king.” We remember paying for items in stores with cash - or even a check. We can even remember writing out actual checks to mail to pay our bills (like in the days of the “Pony Express!”). Today, when the proverbial “little old lady” whips out her checkbook to write out a check to pay for her items at Walmart or Target, people behind her - or him - will often almost get enraged, thinking: “Why can’t she (or he) get with the program - and the times?”
By David Wyldabout a month ago in Trader
Pickup Truck Nation
Introduction Every once and a while, a visual just grabs your attention - and simply won’t let it go! That happened to me when I saw an amazing infographic put together by the data analysts at Visual Capitalist. Now, as a strategic management professor and consultant, the auto industry is one area of the economy that you simply have to pay attention to - as it is perhaps the one consumer product category, outside of the absolute “basics,” like groceries, medicines, clothing, and real estate, that impacts everyone in one form or fashion - on what we drive, on how much we pay each month for our car (and insurance, and gas, and maintenance, etc.).
By David Wyldabout a month ago in Wheel
The Grammar Trap: Rebranding the University of Wisconsin System
This article examines how the recent rebranding of the University of Wisconsin System into the “Universities of Wisconsin” can be both a lesson and a cautionary tale for any organization looking to solve its problems with a name change.
By David Wyld2 months ago in Education
The AI Digital Land Rush is On!
Introduction As the famous movie villain, Harry Payne (played by Dennis Hopper), frighteningly posed his questions in the movie, Speed, let's start in the same spirit with this: “Pop quiz, hotshot!” Want to bet that you could find Anguilla on a map? Is it a country or a city? Can you name the continent or even the general area where it is located in our wide, wide world?
By David Wyld2 months ago in 01