Strategic Insights

This page provides access to ongoing posts about how to formulate and implement strategy for your continuing education and professional development business. It also highlights key trends and insights that may impact your strategy.

Minimum Viable Products and the Power of Validated Learning

minimum viable productA few weeks ago, I mentioned the idea of minimum viable product in a post on market assessment called “Are You Testing Like You Should?”

Today I wanted to provide more detail about what a minimum viable product is—and how you can use it in your association’s education business. [click to continue…]

6 Paths for Leading Your Education Business to Blue Ocean, Part IV

Blue Ocean - Complementary Products

For readers who have missed it (or simply want to review), I have done three prior posts on the six paths framework that is a fundamental component of Blue Ocean Strategy (covered in detail in Chapter 3 of the book: “Reconstruct Market Boundaries”).

In this post I consider the fourth path discussed by Kim and Mauborgne: looking across complementary products and services. [click to continue…]

6 Paths for Leading You Education Business to Blue Ocean, Part III

April 15, 2013

In my previous two posts on the 6 paths (from Blue Ocean Strategy), I discussed looking across alternative industries and looking across strategic groups. In this post, I consider looking across the chain of buyers.

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6 Paths for Leading You Education Business to Blue Ocean, Part II

February 25, 2013

In this post I continue my exploration of the “six paths framework,” a tool used within the overall approach of Blue Ocean Strategy to reconstruct market boundaries and help you redefine your business in such a way that competition is effectively eliminated. In my first post, I considered looking across alternative industries. In this post, [...]

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Thriving as an Education Provider in the Learning Economy

February 19, 2013

A while back I highlighted an interview I did with The EvoLLLution on whether the average adult is prepared to effective to be an effective lifelong learner. I now have a new piece out on The EvoLLLution titled How to Thrive as an Education Provider in the Learning Economy. I point this out for the [...]

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6 Paths for Leading You Education Business to Blue Ocean, Part I

February 13, 2013

Are you looking for ways to separate your education business from the pack and stop competing on price? Would you welcome innovations that help you raise the value you deliver while also lowering your cost structure? With this post I’m kicking off an exploration of some “Blue Ocean” strategy tools that can help you achieve [...]

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10 Must-Watch Videos for the Serious Lifelong Educator

January 29, 2013

Are you wondering what the future may hold for your education business? Do you want to help people in your organization get a finger on the pulse of the rapidly changing world of lifelong learning? Then gather them around and spend some time watching, taking notes about, and discussing the videos highlighted here. While most [...]

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What will you give away in 2013?

January 2, 2013

As part of my work on Leading the Learning Revolution in 2012, I researched and interviewed a range of people who have had significant success in building high impact, profitable education businesses. If there was one lesson that came across loud and clear in these efforts it was that the more you give away, the [...]

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Key Questions for Thriving in the Age of Strategy

November 27, 2012

In any market where the means of production and distribution are available to whoever has a mind to use them, success comes down to a combination of focus and differentiation. In other words, strategy. This is the situation currently in the broader market for lifelong learning and it is spreading into every market niche.

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Going Short: Leveraging Short-Form Content in Your Education Business Model

October 30, 2012

In my recent post on fluency and expertise I argued for more learning experiences that integrate into the flow of work, rather than interrupt it (as traditional courses, Webinars, and conferences tend to do). I think Robert Burroughs has something similar in mind when he discusses the “death of the course” in one of our [...]

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