Sales and distribution are the lifeblood of any business. But how can a values-driven, socially responsible business compete with those for whom the bottom line is the only measure of success? The answer: get creative! In this practical and inspiring guide, Nadine Thompson and Angela Soper draw on real-world examples--from Tom's of Maine, Seventh Generation, Honest Tea, and many other innovative companies--to detail concrete steps for designing sales and distribution strategies that fit th...

In Change by Design, Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, the celebrated innovation and design firm, shows how the techniques and strategies of design belong at every level of business. Change by Design is not a book by designers for designers; this is a book for creative leaders who seek to infuse design thinking into every level of an organization, product, or service to drive new alternatives for business and society.Learn the proven, human-centered process for sparking true innovation:...

Understand the next level of marketingThe new model for marketing-Marketing 3.0-treats customers not as mere consumers but as the complex, multi-dimensional human beings that they are. Customers, in turn, are choosing companies and products that satisfy deeper needs for participation, creativity, community, and idealism.In Marketing 3.0, world-leading marketing guru Philip Kotler explains why the future of marketing lies in creating produc...

Competitive advantage. The value chain. Five forces. Industry structure. Differentiation. Relative cost. If you want to understand how companies achieve and sustain competitive success, Michael Porter’s frameworks are the foundation. But while everyone in business may know Porter’s name, many managers misunderstand and misuse his concepts.Understanding Michael Porter sets the record straight, providing the first concise, accessible summary of Porter’s revolutionar...

A series of shifts are happening in our economy: Millennials are trading in conventional career paths to launch tech start-ups, start small businesses that are rooted in local communities, or freelance their expertise. We are sharing everything, from bikes and cars, to extra rooms in our homes. We now create, buy and sell handcrafted products in our local communities with ease. Globally recognized entrepreneur, founder of Taproot Foundation and CEO of Imperative, Aaron Hurst, ...

Harvard Business Essentials are comprehensive, solution-oriented paperbacks for business readers of all levels of experience. Managing through change and crisis is difficult in any business environment, let alone one as turbulent as managers face today. This timely guide offers authoritative advice on how to recognize the need for organizational change, communicate the vision, prepare for structural change such as M&A, and address emotional responses to downsizing. With tools for managing ...

The era of social technologies provides seemingly endless opportunity, both for individuals and organizations. But it’s also the subject of seemingly endless hype. Yes, social tools allow us to do things entirely differently-but how do you really capitalize on that?In 11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era, the newest in Harvard Business Review’s line of digital books (HBR Singles), social strategist and insightful blogger Nilofer Merchant argues that soci...

Teams are fast becoming a flexible and efficient way to enhance organizational performance. This Harvard Business Review collection brings together the ideas and research from Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith, who argue that we cannot meet the challenges ahead, from total quality to customer service to innovation, without teams. This collection includes The Wisdom of Teams and The Discipline of Teams.

Are you at risk of being trapped in an uncompetitive business?Chances are the strategies that worked well for you even a few years ago no longer deliver the results you need. Dramatic changes in business have unearthed a major gap between traditional approaches to strategy and the way the real world works now.In short, strategy is stuck. Most leaders are using frameworks that were designed for a different era of business and based on a single domin...

How to succeed at work and life-in an increasingly unpredictable worldIn a world where you can no longer plan or predict your way to success, how can you achieve your most important goals? It’s a daunting question. But in today’s environment, where change is the only constant, it’s a question everyone must answer. This is true whether you are an innovator or an entrepreneur, a manager or a newly minted graduate.The first step, say the authors of this book, ...

What’s your entrepreneurial profile?Do you have what it takes to build a great business?In this book, three prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs-now venture capitalists and CEO advisers-share the qualities that surface again and again in those who successfully achieve their goals. The common traits? Heart, smarts, guts, and luck.After interviewing and researching hundreds of business-builders across the globe, the authors found that every on...

An inspiring case study for the next generation of start-ups by the unconventional founders of Method.Founded ten years ago by childhood pals Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, Method has been making headlines and profits with a revolutionary blend of culture and commerce, style and substance. Today, Method's ecofriendly soaps, detergents, and cleaners are ubiquitous in stores, capturing valuable shelf space long dominated by the tired old products of giants P&G and Unileve...