By Mark Rhodes on February 19, 2020
Biographers of Napoleon Bonaparte talk about his ability to size up a situation with a single coup d’oeil,(pronounced koo-DOY), meaning “a stroke of the eye” or “glance.” Napoleon was so knowledgeable about his strategic situation—the landscape, the enemy, available technology, similar situations from the past—that he could understand and respond quickly to ever- changing circumstances. Napoleon […]
By Carter McNamara on April 25, 2017
The goal of strategic planning should be to produce a Plan that is 1) relevant, realistic and flexible; 2) with a very highly likelihood of being implemented; 3) in order to achieve the purpose of the planning, e.g., a purpose to evolve to the next stage of development, expand marketshare or survive major cost-cutting. A […]
By Carter McNamara on January 30, 2017
Here’s a list of the biggest mistakes that I have seen made by strategic planning facilitators over the years: 1. Not getting sufficiently trained on how to do facilitating, e.g., planning the meeting, goals, ground rules, which techniques to cultivate complete participation, doing interventions, managing conflict 2. Not learning a variety of strategic planning models, […]
By Mark Rhodes on May 27, 2016
The best decision-makers in chaotic “fog of war” conditions seem able to call on intuition – knowing what to do without knowing why or how they know.
By Mark Rhodes on January 8, 2016
Moneyball and the Work of the Strategist Paul DePodesta was recently named the Chief Strategy Officer by the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. This is significant because, as any fan of Moneyball knows, Mr. DePodesta has spent his career in the sport of baseball, not football. This matters to the community of strategic thinkers because it […]
By Carter McNamara on March 18, 2014
It seems that the use of “templates” in strategic planning is on the rise. People want a simple and straightforward way to get the Strategic Plan written and finished. They want a “roadmap” that applies to every organization with everyone all the time and everywhere. I’m seeing them mentioned more often lately for strategic planning, […]
By Michael Wilkinson on October 1, 2013
To help determine your organization’s goals, utilize a visualization exercise that guides the team through a scenario ten or more years into the future. The scenario should paint a picture in which the organization is achieving tremendous success. The visualization should help participants see what was accomplished, how it was accomplished, and how customers, employees, competitors, and any other significant stakeholders view the organization.
By Michael Wilkinson on August 28, 2013
In the course of developing strategic plans, organizations often find themselves taking a step back to ask the question, “How can we differentiate ourselves from the competition?” The answer to this question often results in the development of positioning strategies.
By Michael Wilkinson on July 18, 2013
As a result of the lack of challenge many leaders experience within their own walls, the views of the leader can easily overpower the group. And even when someone dares to challenge with a question, some leaders, often without knowing it, respond with statements that belittle the questioner or not-so-subtly communicate that challenging the boss is not welcome.
Consider the following strategies.
By Michael Wilkinson on June 18, 2013
As the strategy leader, you have seven activities to which I recommend you pay close attention to build a strong strategy that has full buy-in and commitment. Let’s examine each of these activities.
Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, provides organizational development, consultant training and Action Learning services, and is developer of the Free Management Library. [Read more ...]