FAQs about Ben M. Bartlett
So what exactly do you do?
In a nutshell, I develop strategies, tactics and plans that help companies to improve performance. Improved performance can be measured in a number of ways and includes:
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Stronger competitive positions
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Increased sales and profits
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Stronger, more vibrant brands
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New and innovative products
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Faster sales cycles
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Higher employee morale and reduced staff turnover
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Improved ROI on marketing spend
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Better leadership and management skills
And how do I do all that?
I am first and foremost a strategist (more traditionally known as a strategic thinker & planner), which is defined in the Collins dictionary as "Someone who is skilled in planning the best way to gain an advantage or to achieve success."
Now in terms of a process, my work is performed differently to that of traditional consultants and strategists. In what way? Quite simply, it is driven by creativity/intuition and applies the principles of design/visual thinking. Contrast that with traditional consulting which is deeply rooted in highly analytical, left brain thinking. Anyway, by applying the principles of design/visual thinking I:
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Get clarity and an understanding of a client's current situation, problem or challenge
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Gather research data and market intelligence
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Analyze intelligence and data using visual tools and processes
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Identify points of competitive advantage and weakness, uncovering root causes of problems and issues
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Create high value business, brand and marketing strategies, ideas and plans, marketing tactics and systems, and high performance/HR processes
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Creatively solve problems and fix issues
In addition, I provide high-level coaching, mentoring and advice to CEOs, business owners and executives. This is designed to help them become more effective visual thinkers, build their strategic skills, and to execute their strategies, tactics and plans more effectively.
What is your philosophy on business performance?
Firstly, the foundation to business success is effective strategic thinking and planning. The reason? Every result you achieve in your business derives firstly from your ability to think strategically, create powerful strategies and tactics, and then formulate actionable plans. Sure, proper execution is essential. But, execution must be built upon a foundation of a solid strategy and plan.
Just as importantly, traditional strategic planning and development – with its emphasis on left-brain, sequential and numbers-driven thinking – is often a huge impediment to developing breakthrough and innovative strategies. Instead, what's needed is the type of thinking and planning that more effectively engages the brain's right hemisphere.
Now, from both a planning and execution perspective, your success is based on your ability to perform what I consider to be the three key steps to business success. These are:
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Create a high-value, or strategic, brand
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Generate high-value brand awareness
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Monetize the brand
A high-value brand lies at the heart of your strategy and kick starts what Warren Buffett – the world's greatest investor – calls a "beautiful castle and moat."
Once you've created your high-value brand and strategy, you need to generate high-value brand awareness. Put simply, your target market must be aware that you exist.
Then, once you've generated brand awareness you need an effective process to monetize the brand. In other words, to convert your brand awareness into revenue and profits.
My Strategic Business Growth Grid, shown here, highlights the importance of these three steps:
Your overall strategy sets the foundation for how you will compete and this is where you establish a high-value, hard-to-imitate business model and brand.
Next, your marketing system drives your business strategy, builds your brand, and converts brand awareness into customers.
Thirdly, everything you achieve in your business is dependent on the skills, values and subsequent performance of your people. And this is represented by the white key in the centre of the grid.
In terms of strategic human performance, a crucial component all high-performing organizations possess is a well-defined values system, which comprises their values, beliefs and behavioral expectations.
In turn, these organizations hire people who not only possess the right skills, they also believe in the values system of that organization. This system then produces behavior, which is what creates a business's culture and organizational brand, and generates results.
What's in your toolbox?
My work with clients integrates creative thinking, sports performance and traditional strategic planning principles and my main tools of trade are an intuitive brain, sketch pads and marker pens, and a range of proprietary tools and systems built upon the principles of visual thinking and planning.
These tools differ significantly from traditional analytical and planning techniques in that they rely heavily on creative thinking and visual aids such as pictures, process visuals, matrices and maps.
Other key tools are my one page strategic, marketing and business plans, which visually outline a firm's strategy and key actions on an A1-A3 page.
Who do you work with? And what sort of projects have you completed?
For more than ten years I've assisted businesses in such industries/sectors as financial and investment services, retail, manufacturing, fast moving consumer goods (fmcg) and technology, with clients ranging from corporates to SMEs. Most of my clients however are CEOs/Managing Directors, boards and senior managers of million dollar plus companies involved in dynamic and competitive industries.
And the types of projects and assignments? These include:
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Advising boards, CEOs, managing directors and senior management on strategy and helping them to develop and improve strategic direction
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Developing and writing strategic and marketing plans using my one page visual planning system.
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Organizational troubleshooting and re-structuring businesses and business units
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Creating new products, re-invigorating existing products and designing product launch initiatives
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Strategic branding (including brand positioning and naming) of products, services and businesses
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Designing and developing marketing systems and processes to help firms more effectively raise brand awareness, improve conversion rates and generate higher sales at better gross margins
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Auditing workplace brand culture and introducing initiatives and systems to improve performance
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Coaching leaders and managers to improve strategic skills
Some of this work has featured at industry conferences in both New Zealand and Australia, has won me prestigious awards, and has even been subject to legal action being taken against others who have stolen my ideas, concepts and plans. (Although it is frustrating and annoying, in some ways intellectual property theft is a back-handed compliment).
You often use sports metaphors to help explain business and performance principles. Why?
Firstly, the fundamental principles that drive sporting, fitness and business performance are identical. For instance, both a CEO and a sports team need to analyze and problem solve, formulate effective strategies, tactics and plans, and then execute with precision. Now the technical requirements and domains will be different, but the desired outcomes will be identical. In addition, sport is a domain that many people can relate to, so comparing sport with business helps make it easier to explain business concepts.
My view is that you will learn more about business strategy and high performance by learning, following and coaching a sport – especially a team sport – and making fitness a more integral part of your life. Furthermore, I firmly believe that sport and fitness is the best way to learn important life skills such as leadership, teamwork, strategic planning, playing to a game plan and overcoming adversity.
Anyway, those are two reasons for the sports/fitness metaphors, and why much of my writing, speaking and coaching/training work has fitness-based themes. It is also why I complement my professional career with a 15+ year volunteer career as a life skills mentor and sports/fitness coach.
Working mainly with kids/youth up to high school age, my volunteer career focuses on using sport and fitness to develop high performers and to better prepare them for higher education and lives of responsible adulthood. And, by applying the principles of strategy, planning and high performance I've been successful in producing championship-winning sports teams in rugby, cricket and touch rugby, assisting at-risk youth from low socio-economic areas to transform their health and fitness levels, and helping kids to overcome their fears and develop self confidence.
Can individuals apply your principles to improve their personal lives?
Absolutely! And on a personal level I have a strong interest in applying these principles to such areas as health, fitness, education and family.
As a recreational masters athlete I compete successfully in shorter-distance athletics events (I've also run 3 marathons), lift weights and play competitive touch rugby with, and against, many players less than half my age (I'm 48). And, I can still compete with a number of the high school seniors I coach – some of whom are representative players – in standardized fitness tests.
In terms of education, my professional and volunteer career is underpinned with a theoretical background that includes an MBA (with Distinction) from the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. I'm also a voracious reader – mainly research papers, articles and books related to business, health and fitness, strategy, high performance and human behavior.
With regards to family I'm married (more than 25 years), have three sons and enjoy supporting my sons in their sporting and academic pursuits. And infrequently, I can be seen accompanying my wife on her shopping trips.
