For many executives, the two words above don’t go together. Why? Because they think strategy is done in the C-suite. I’m here to tell you that’s old thinking. Life is different now. Status is less relevant. We’re in an era of ideas – and they can, and do, come from all directions. The formal, power-based [...]
Tag Archives | strategy
What Apple Knows That Facebook Doesn’t
Too often, we don’t recognize the power of platforms – even in Silicon Valley. The piece below by Umair Haque, draws an interesting difference between the way Apple and Facebook are both conducting their businesses. Some would argue against viewing Apple as ‘open,’ given the proprietary nature of the iPod and iTunes. Either way, it’s [...]
Strategy vs. Truth
What happens inside an employee when strategy doesn’t jive with what they know to be truth? In a millisecond, a string of questions unwinds. Questions like: Do they expect me to say something? Will I get in trouble if I say something? Will I get in trouble later if I don’t say something? Is talking [...]
Strategy has 5 Structural Elements: People
Strategy has 5 Structural Elements – power distribution, decision-making, idea generation, ideas, process and people. If you miss tuning one, you’ll fail. Add items that don’t blend and you’ll fail. People In an organization of any size, people bring their domain knowledge, talents and perspectives to strategy creation. Often people are viewed as the first [...]
Strategy has 5 Structural Elements: Process
Strategy has 5 Structural Elements – power distribution, decision-making, idea generation, ideas, process and people. Miss tuning one and you’ll fail. Add items that don’t blend and you’ll fail. Process Process is the way that ideas are handled and consumed within organizations. Process defines the way that agreements and commitments are made and managed, and [...]
The Wall Street Journal: Web Piracy: The Enemy Within?
While this Wall Street Journal story is about the entertainment industry, all of us involved in software would do well to take a look. Piracy of all kinds costs our industry billions every year, representing profits lost for shareholders. Some companies look the other way, others see it as a clandestine marketing tool. Maybe it’s [...]
The 5 Structural Elements of Strategy: Decision-Making
Strategy has 5 Structural Elements – power distribution, decision-making, idea generation, ideas, process and people. Miss tuning one and you’ll fail. Add items that don’t blend and you’ll fail. Decision-Making The way decisions are made in organizations determines how ideas are generated, and which ideas get considered. The way decisions are made also influences how [...]
The 5 Structural Elements of Strategy: Power Distribution
Strategy has 5 Structural Elements – power distribution, decision-making, idea generation, ideas, process and people. Miss tuning one and you’ll fail. Add items that don’t blend and you’ll fail. Power Distribution This dictates who to involve, how much information each individual is allowed, and ultimately the process by which organizations make decisions. Know who you’re [...]
The Missing Strategic Ingredient
Part of the difficulty in strategy creation is the temptation to direct rather than ask open-ended questions. When the C-suite sends a directive telling people to head in a certain direction, thinking isn’t involved. Teams start to align against that order and move to execute it. Middle-management becomes the scapegoat for failure to execute the [...]
Strategy Failure = Strategy Creation Process Gone Awry
We’ve all seen it – the company that makes a play for new customers and finds they’ve targeted incorrectly. The product launch that fizzles. A big rebranding move that ends up being underwhelming. Is strategy failure due to poor leadership, lack of execution, bad market data? Have customers moved on, is the timing wrong? Underneath [...]