The return of the Mission Statements

Vision and mission statements were once the flavor of many seasons. For sometime, I thought, they had lost their novelty and utility.

This article in today's WSJ assures me that the mission statements are alive and kicking.

More and more corporates are using loftier mission (or is it vision? ) statements to woo and motivate employees.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/corporate-mission-statements-talk-of-higher-purpose-1424824784

Long live the mission statement!

Are American consumers idiots?

http://www.wsj.com/articles/kill-the-wireless-contract-buy-your-own-phone-1424807865

Seeing Americans sign up their freedom for a jazzy phone at apparently subsidized costs, one would think Americans are idiots. In  a country which boasts of choices, it is surprising.  Reading this article ones really wonders if the consumer is a moron.

In this context, Indian consumers are smart. They have squeezed out the best from not only the service providers and the handset makers but the regulators too.

Learnings from Chipotle

http://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-chipotles-kitchen-whats-really-handmade-1424802150

This article gives a peek into the smart operations in Chipotle. It has lessons in process and operations management, like postponement of differentiation, mechanisation etc. It also exhibits a keen customer centricity.

 I did not understand where  the article says that the percentage of food cost in fine dining is higher.  I would have thought that with high overheads the food cost will be lower as a percentage of total costs.

I like the expression "the Chipotle of..." Shows the high benchmark it has set.