Six Disciplines

JUNE 26, 2015

A recent poll of the Strategic Planning Community (SPC), a business social network of strategic planners hosted by the Association of Strategic Planning (ASP), shows that for the most part, the knee-jerk reactions to the downturn have passed and most companies are moving towards more strategic moves. Key findings: 82% reported that their companies are now thinking more strategically.

Company 70

Company Strategic Planning Tactics Survey 70

Six Disciplines

JUNE 12, 2015

Authors Dan and Chip Heath (Made To Stick) offer a FastCompany article titled " Analysis of Paralysis ," in which they assert: "If your strategy doesn't help employees act, it's not a strategy. You don't need to embrace simplicity just so your people can comprehend your message. The point of simplicity is more fundamental: Simplicity allows people to act.".

Strategy 70

Strategy Analysis Quality Article 70

Six Disciplines

MAY 22, 2015

As baby boomers retire, companies are failing - in a big way - to transfer knowledge to the next generation of workers. According to a recent study conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), only 29% of responding organizations report that they incorporate retirement forecasts into their knowledge transfer practices, and only a third add "skills gap analysis" into those forecasts.

Competitive Intelligence 70

Competitive Intelligence Report Mentor Analysis 70

Six Disciplines

MARCH 27, 2015

'CEOs of small businesses often appear to believe in myths surrounding the subject of strategic planning and execution - myths that can prove dangerous to the health of their organization. Myth #1: “We don’t need a strategic plan!” The truth is that every organization needs some form of plan to guide its actions or it will simply “drift off course” in the chaos businesses often face in their daily operations.

Strategic Planning 70

Strategic Planning Planning Competitive Advantage Hotels 70

Six Disciplines

MARCH 20, 2015

'"The greatest strategy in the world is useless - if you cannot execute it.". Here are the seven critical elements of strategy execution: People. Strategy formulation often gathers the "smartest people in the room." However, it''s not the senior leadership team that executes strategy - it''s everyone in your workforce. Get the right people in the right positions.

Execution 70

Execution Strategy Review Objective 70

Six Disciplines

MARCH 13, 2015

'Problems create opportunities. The impossible is a paradigm - Change your mind to change your performance. Ask why five times to get to the real answer. Eliminate excuses - do it right the first time. Correct errors immediately. Involve everyone - we are smarter as a group than a single individual. Reconsider rigid thoughts, situations change. Think simple, not perfect solutions.

Goal 70

Goal 70

Six Disciplines

MARCH 6, 2015

'The barriers that keep us from achieving the kind of business excellence that lasts are deeply rooted and wont be removed by "quick fixes.". At Six Disciplines , our research shows that there are six fundamental barriers to enduring business excellence: 1. Poorly Understood Strategy. While most organizations have a strategy, most people do not understand it.

Core Competence 70

Core Competence Short-term Long-term Fashion 70

Six Disciplines

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'Strategy execution is the single hardest challenge in business. What makes it so tough? Here''s a list of the primary execution challenges, based on surveys of organizational leaders: - Inability to manage change effectively or overcome internal resistance to change. - Strategy conflicts with the existing organizational structure. - Poor or inadequate information sharing among individuals or business units responsible for strategy execution. - Unclear communication of responsibility and/or ac

Execution 70

Execution Strategy Incentives Guidelines 70

Six Disciplines

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

'According to the consultants at Marakon , companies typically realize only about 60% of their strategies’ potential value because of defects and breakdowns in planning and execution. Yet, by following seven simple rules, you can get a lot more than that. Marakon found that the processes companies use to develop plans and monitor performance make it difficult to discern whether the strategy-to-performance gap stems from poor planning, poor execution, both, or neither.

Execution 70

Execution Strategy Long-term Planning 70

Six Disciplines

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

'Although always important, communication is absolutely critical when deciding to adopt a strategy execution program like Six Disciplines. It’s challenging to manage the transition ("if nothing changes, nothing changes.") if people have no sense of where the changes are headed. Painting a picture for them can be difficult. The truth is that many organizations head into a transition state with nothing more than some basic ideas, some lofty goals and cherished values to guide them on their journey

Planning 70

Planning Goal Strategy Execution 70

Six Disciplines

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'In a survey of 163 CEOs by Forbes Insights in conjunction with the Association for Strategic Planning and the Council of Public Relations Firms, chief executives report that one-third of corporate strategies fail, and they fail for five reasons. The five reasons why strategies fail are: Unforeseen external circumstances (24 percent). A lack of understanding among those involved in developing the strategy and what they need to do to make it successful (19 percent).

Strategy 102

Strategy Core Competence Strategic Planning Public Relations 102

Six Disciplines

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'If you want to improve performance, or likewise increase capacity or capability, you need to track the one thing that you''ll never get back: time. In order to improve effectiveness and efficiency, you must understand how your time is being used. With all of the technological advances over the past two decades, we''re continually forced to do things "better, faster, cheaper.

Covey 89

Covey Efficiency Project Goal 89

Six Disciplines

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'W. Edwards Deming was a supreme practitioner of quality management. He summarized his ideas in these Fourteen Points of Quality Management : Create constancy of purpose towards improvement. That means short-term out, long-term in. Adopt the new philosophy. From top to bottom. Cease dependence on inspection. You don’t inspect quality into products and services - you design it in.

Deming 103

Deming Quality Management Short-term 103

Six Disciplines

OCTOBER 17, 2014

'The critical question for every business leader is, “ How do I build an organization that consistently executes its strategy?”. The answer: it takes a complete program. The reasons other approaches do not last is that they are missing key elements. Technology (i.e., performance mangement software) alone is not enough. Training, by itself, is not adequate.

Execution 91

Execution Strategy Executive Coaching Software 91

Six Disciplines

OCTOBER 10, 2014

'A methodology, or method, is another name for any step-by-step approach to getting something done. A business-building methodology must include the steps that are essential for an organization to build and sustain a healthy, growing business. It must define how the organization sets its goals and priorities and organizes its resources to best achieve these goals.

Execution 91

Execution Strategy Document Learning-by-Doing 91

Six Disciplines

OCTOBER 3, 2014

'Most leaders fail to understand the implication of the human nature barriers. Our natural tendency is to do what we like doing, not necessarily what we should. The topic of coaching offers the most insight into what it takes to deliver a complete strategy execution program. Strategy execution coaching implies that an accountability model exists. Employees in organizations will learn to be accountable – that is, they’ll do what is needed and expected – proportionate to the extent in which three

Execution 91

Execution Strategy Executive Coaching Learning-by-Doing 91

Six Disciplines

JULY 11, 2014

'In business, "if you can''t measure it, you can''t manage it." When it comes to executing your business strategy, you must first translate the strategic plan into short-term operating objectives or metrics - and progress must be monitored and measured regularly. To achieve strategic objectives, your organization must develop short-term measurable objectives that logically relate to the company''s strategy, as well as a plan for how your organization plans to compete: how you will be different

Short-term 95

Short-term Strategic Planning Management Long-term 95

Six Disciplines

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

'An organization that learns a systematic way of setting its priorities, that learns how to build detailed plans, that learns how to proactively manage those plans and communicate in an organized way is in a much better position. In such an environment, goals are clearer and new employees can understand their role sooner. They learn how to communicate more effectively.

Long-term 91

Long-term Efficiency Execution Strategy 91

Six Disciplines

AUGUST 22, 2014

'W. Edwards Deming was a supreme practitioner of quality management. He summarized his ideas in these Fourteen Points of Quality Management : Create constancy of purpose towards improvement. That means short-term out, long-term in. Adopt the new philosophy. From top to bottom. Cease dependence on inspection. You don’t inspect quality into products and services - you design it in.

Deming 95

Deming Quality Management Short-term 95

Six Disciplines

AUGUST 15, 2014

'If you want to improve performance, or likewise increase capacity or capability, you need to track the one thing that you''ll never get back: time. In order to improve effectiveness and efficiency, you must understand how your time is being used. With all of the technological advances over the past two decades, we''re continually forced to do things "better, faster, cheaper.

Covey 99

Covey Efficiency Project Goal 99

Six Disciplines

AUGUST 1, 2014

'Tough times require tough decisions. During times of economic uncertainty, strategy refinement and execution need to become the top priority for business leaders. How to start? Begin by doing a SWOT Analysis. SWOT is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in your business. The aim of any SWOT analysis is to identify the key internal and external factors that are important to achieving your strategy.

SWOT 95

SWOT Uncertainty Analysis Strategic Planning 95

Six Disciplines

JULY 25, 2014

'A SWOT analysis is a tool used to assess an organization''s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The purpose of using the SWOT tool is to uncover or reveal the organization''s competitive advantages, and what opportunities (sales, profitability) to capitalize upon. It''s also used to articulate the challenges an organization has, enabling contingency plans.

SWOT 99

SWOT Debt to Equity Ratio Analysis Supply Chain 99

Six Disciplines

JUNE 27, 2014

'For better or worse, why do so many companies veer off their strategic plan? Look for a disconnect between strategy and how resources are allocated , say Harvard Business School''s Joseph L. Bower and Clark G. Gilbert, in their article " What Really Drives Strategy ?". Their assertion? "Organizations of any size are built around a series of building blocks, and the bigger the company the more responsibility in those building blocks.

Strategy 106

Strategy Gilbert Strategic Planning Resources 106

Six Disciplines

JUNE 20, 2014

'What would be your dream job? If money were not a consideration, what would you do? A recent Harris Interactive survey among almost 8,000 employees over the age of 18 found the following: 45% of workers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. 55% of workers said they were not satisfied. Furthermore. 20% were passionate about their jobs. 33% believed they had reached a dead end. 21% were eager to change to something different.

Survey 91

Survey Energy Skills Career 91

Six Disciplines

JUNE 13, 2014

'"A brilliant strategy, blockbuster product, or breakthrough technology can put you on the competitive map, but only solid execution can keep you there. ". So begins the Harvard Business review article "The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution" written by executives from management consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. According to the authors, "Execution is the result of thousands of decisions made every day by employees acting according to the information they have and their own self

Execution 83

Execution Strategy Succession Consultative 83

Six Disciplines

JUNE 6, 2014

'The best performing small businesses have five factors in common: A strong leadership team. The ability to attract and retain quality people. A disciplined approach to their business. The ability to strategically use technology. The wise use of trusted outside providers. Top-performing organizations rate not just a little better in these five areas -- but at least 100% better.

Organization 123

Organization Quality Technology Team 123

Six Disciplines

MAY 30, 2014

'In general, strategic plans can fail for two types of reasons: inappropriate strategy and poor execution. Inappropriate or ineffective strategies can occur due to: Failure to define objectives correctly. Incomplete SWOT analysis with respect to the desired objectives. Lack of creativity in identifying possible strategies. Strategies incapable of obtaining the desired objective.

Strategic Planning 112

Strategic Planning Planning SWOT Objective 112

Six Disciplines

APRIL 25, 2014

'Why do most companies fail? Most companies fail primarily because they don’t have the right team of people. The CEO might not be right, or the CEO hasn’t chosen the right people in the right positions. Unfortunately, most new CEOs don’t understand the talent level required at each position and the teamwork needed to build a successful company. To have a successful company, most businesses need key people in several categories including research & development, manufacturing, IT, finance, marketi

Company 115

Company Teamwork Finance CEO 115

Six Disciplines

APRIL 18, 2014

'A previous issue of the Harvard Business Review includes article entitled " Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? ". Their premise? "Can you summarize your company’s strategy in 35 words or less? If so, would your colleagues put it the same way?". Their conclusion? "Very few executives can honestly answer these simple questions in the affirmative. And the companies that those executives work for are often the most successful in their industry.".

Strategy 91

Strategy Strategic Planning Long-term Document 91

Six Disciplines

APRIL 11, 2014

'The importance of business planning is frequently misunderstood. Here are 9 commonly-held myths: about business planning: Most small and new businesses don’t need business plans. You need an MBA to write a convincing business plan. Business plans are only necessary when you need to raise money. Business plans need to be long and address every last detail.

Planning 121

Planning Course Process 121

Six Disciplines

APRIL 4, 2014

'In sports, no one questions the importance of having a good coach. In music, art, science, no one questions the importance of having a good mentor. If you''re running a small business, why should it be any different? Yet, everyday, leaders of small and emerging businesses continue to waste thousands (if not tens of thousands) of dollars on ineffective means to the end: learning to develop a top-performing business.

Organization 106

Organization Seminar Brainstorming Strategic Planning 106

Six Disciplines

MARCH 28, 2014

'There''s a lot of talk going on these days about accountability. For some, it''s important for their professional lives (i.e., setting business goals, keeping on track, being responsible, etc.) For others, it''s more personal (i.e., diet, weight loss, exercising, etc.). Whatever the case, it''s important to understand what accountability is, and ultimately, how it works.

Definition 99

Definition Learning-by-Doing Reference Course 99

Six Disciplines

MARCH 21, 2014

'The need for measurement may seem obvious, however, more often than not, it''s overlooked as being unnecessary by many leaders of small and midsized organizations. Let''s look at the top 10 reasons why your organization needs to measure its results: Measurement clarifies expectations. Measures are a the most transparent and clear means to communicate expectations to employees.

Deming 121

Deming Quality System Objective 121

Six Disciplines

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

'Many of the top-performing organizations we work with every day - have expressed a real need to build accountability into their organization. Take a quick minute – and consider the following key questions: Does each of your team members understand exactly what they are responsible for? Does your leadership team set consistent expectations for accountability?

Organization 117

Organization Core Competence How To Efficiency 117

Six Disciplines

JANUARY 31, 2014

'Scott Cleveland reports that a managing director of the Palladium Group (think: balanced scorecard) conducted a survey that compared two groups, one with and one without a formal strategy execution process in place. A formal process in their terminology means "strategy maps, derived projects and process improvements from it, and associated key performance indicators (KPIs) with targets reported in scorecard dashboards and cascaded down into the organization.".

Balanced Scorecard 110

Balanced Scorecard Process Execution Strategy 110

Six Disciplines

JANUARY 24, 2014

'Is your organization "drowning" in too many strategic initiatives? If you''re evaluating far more opportunities than your team can realistically handle, it''s time to do a serious screening of those initiatives. . According to Robert W. Bradford, President/CEO of the Center for Simplified Strategic Planning, your organization should only take on between 3 - 10 strategic opportunities, depending on the size, breadth of your team and its resources.

Strategic Planning 106

Strategic Planning Resources CEO Project 106

Six Disciplines

JANUARY 17, 2014

'Are strategic thinking and strategic planning - the same thing ? While they certainly related and complementary, thinking strategically and planning strategically are two different concepts. Let''s first consider strategic thinking , which involves viewing your organization from a holistic perspective. . Research has determined that strategic thinking can be explained through seven dimensions: A vision of the future.

Strategic Planning 129

Strategic Planning Planning Teamwork Review 129