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Here are five choice articles from the business press to start off your work week. I'm pointing you to articles about designer thinking, bias, the Comcast-NBC Universal merger, Calvin Ayre, and Gordon Ramsay and his empire.

From the Economist: Analysis catalysis
"TIM BROWN, the boss of IDEO, a consultancy that helped shape Apple’s first mouse, does not have solutions to daunting global problems such as climate change, epidemics and persistent poverty. But he believes he knows how to find them: with “design thinking”.  By design thinking, Mr. Brown means the open-minded, no-holds-barred approach that designers bring to their work, rather than the narrow, technical view of innovation traditionally taught at many business and engineering schools. Firms that think like designers, he claims in a new book, “Change by Design”, stand to win huge new markets and profits. The concept may sound pat and woolly, encompassing everything from savvier marketing to radical technological leaps. Yet design thinking is winning many converts in both industry and philanthropy."

Wally's Comment: This article represents Tim Brown well. But as you read it, keep the following in mind.

Creativity and "designer thinking" are only part of the picture. Creativity and innovation are not the same thing. Getting good ideas is the easy part.

Even if you understand the difference between creativity and innovation, you still need to know about different kinds of innovation. There are at least three.

From Kellogg Insight: Biases that Bind
"In many situations, stereotypes do more harm than good. But situations exist in which stereotypes can be a useful tool for efficient decision making. In medical decision making, for example, demographic categories often are undeniably relevant: a physician would be unlikely to diagnose a male patient with menopause. Nevertheless, it is important to understand the potential pitfalls of stereotyping. Galen Bodenhausen (Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management) points out that people tend to overestimate the accuracy of stereotypes. Many cognitive mechanisms lead to false confirmation of stereotypes and can ultimately lead to erroneous decision making."

Wally's Comment: This is an excellent quick overview of the ways that stereotypes and pre-judgment can affect decision making.

From Knowledge at Wharton: Comcast-NBC Universal: Will the Marriage of Cable and Content Work?
"In 2001, the merger between America Online (AOL) and Time Warner was accompanied by lofty hopes of synergies between new-world Internet prowess and old-world content delivery. But those hopes were short-lived. Now, with a $30 billion deal to take control of NBC Universal (NBCU), Philadelphia-based Comcast is looking to integrate its cable pipes with many of the channels it distributes. What does Comcast CEO Brian Roberts know that the rest of the media industry doesn't?"

Wally's Comment: One thing Brian Roberts probably knows is that the cable distribution business is about as mature as it will ever get. The specter of the AOL-Time Warner deal hangs over any merger of this kind. Whether this deal succeeds or not, I think it will be different for three reasons.

First, Brian Roberts is not Jerry Levin. He's proven to be a solid, conservative, and investor-friendly CEO. Second, unlike the AOL deal which took place at the peak of the Dot-Com Bubble, this one's happening in the pit of a recession. And, Roberts' acquisition strategy so far is more like a holding company than some synergy-seeking conglomerate.

From the Financial Post: Interview with Calvin Ayre
"Calvin Ayre is a successful - and controversial - entrepreneur. He grew up on a pig farm in Saskatchewan, attended the University of Waterloo on a full scholarship in physics and pioneered online gambling through his Bodog website family. He dabbled in real estate, then in the stock market in Vancouver, where he lost a skirmish with securities officials. He built a huge gaming business and in 2006 made it to the cover of People magazine as one of the world's most eligible bachelors, and also to Forbes' 100 richest list. That same year, the United States cracked down on online gambling and he licensed his brand and technology to others. Today, he is semi-retired, living mostly in Antigua and avoiding travel to the United States in case of repercussions."

Wally's Comment: Read this interview for insight into the ways regulations work in a global business world.

From Bloomberg: Gordon Ramsay Flees Kitchen as TV Fame Saves Restaurant Empire
 "The 43-year-old Scot pours himself a juice, sits at the kitchen table and looks back on his own extreme situation: a year in which his global restaurant empire almost went bankrupt."

Wally's Comment: This last year has been tough for Ramsay. Business has not been good, he's made the tabloids for an affair, and the media have let him have it under headlines like "The fall and fall of Gordon Ramsay" from the Independent. That's why this article is good. It's about a business in trouble and what one owner did to survive and turn things around.

Make no mistake, Ramsay is quite the businessman. No matter what business you're in, try "Learning from Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares."

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.