BLOG

Turning Chaos Into Opportunity with Consumer Products Industry Veteran & Angel Investor, Tom Browning

In this episode of the Mayhem to Mastery: Leading Transformation from the Middle, James Thompson and Ronii Bartles speak with Tom Browning, who, after an extensive tenure in the beverage industry, has turned his attention to investing in and mentoring early-stage companies with big growth potential. He is a member of Queen City Angels, one of the largest angel investing groups in North America, a partner at H Venture Partners, which focuses on women-led consumer startups, and an active investor with VentureSouth in Charleston. He also gives back by serving as lead mentor at The Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Mount Pleasant, helping founders chart their own paths.

Read More
Strategic planning, Strategy James Thompson Strategic planning, Strategy James Thompson

Part I: Alignment - The Hidden Multiplier of Enterprise Value

Misalignment doesn’t show up as a neat line item in the P&L. It hides in the between the couch cushions:

  • Conflicting priorities: Sales chases growth at any cost while operations quietly trims expenses.

  • Decision gridlock: Leadership debates endlessly, burning months without decisive action.

  • Talent drain: Top performers leave because no one can explain where the company is headed or why their role matters.

  • Value leakage: Every month wasted in misalignment is a month of EBITDA not realized at its full potential.

Read More
Leadership James Thompson Leadership James Thompson

Comparing Business Management Systems and the Human Body

Comparing a business management system (BMS) to the systems in the human body is a great way to bring some clarity to an otherwise confusing concept. The BMS vs. Body analogy also highlights how essential coordination and specialization are for effective operation. Here are a few ways to compare the two systems that may help you better promote a systemic approach in your organization.

Read More
Leadership James Thompson Leadership James Thompson

What Is A Business Management Systems?

Think of a business management system (BMS) as the body of how an organization operates, aligns with customer needs, provides value, grows and changes. It’s not just one thing - it’s a carefully orchestrated mix of processes, people, policies, and information designed to meet your company’s goals, while adapting to an ever-changing world.

Read More

Introducing the Super Turtle Diagram

This editable bundle contains various templates, examples and instructions that are simple to understand and configure yourself. Included are the Turtle Diagram template, the Swimlane Diagram, the SIPOC Diagram, the Tu-Poc Diagram and the new Super Turtle Diagram. Additional templates are added to illustrate how process teams can use these diagrams to analyze risks, the effect of changes on process outputs, resources needed to achieve desired results, process oriented metrics, and more.

Read More
ISO 9001, IATF 16949 James Thompson ISO 9001, IATF 16949 James Thompson

Turtle Diagrams

A "Turtle Diagram" is a quality tool used to visually display process characteristics such as inputs, outputs (expectations), criteria (metrics) and other high-level information to assist in the effective execution and improvement of key business processes.

Read More