How To Create a Strategy Route-Map

How To Create a Strategy Route-Map

I once read a survey that suggested that over half of all Chief Finance Officers would cut a project with a positive net present value in order to hit short-term profit targets. In other words, these CFOs would forsake future profits to meet immediate aims. There is,...
Strategy vs Planning

Strategy vs Planning

Strategy and planning are different. However, they often get confused, or, even worse, fused together in the term ‘strategic planning’. Both are critical to organisational success, but here is a summary of the different roles they play....
How To Assess Your Company’s Strategic Position

How To Assess Your Company’s Strategic Position

One of the reasons why many successful executives prefer not to get involved in developing strategies for their business is that they believe it involves unnecessary navel-gazing. These managers would much prefer to be getting on with their ‘real jobs’ than carrying...
7 Steps To Turn Ambitious Goals Into Serious Results

7 Steps To Turn Ambitious Goals Into Serious Results

Setting ambitious organisational goals has become a recognised part of the modern leader’s role. As a result, “BHAGs” (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals), “WIGs” (Wildly Important Goals) and “Moonshots” have all become part of the management-speak lexicon. And yet, whenever...
The 5 Questions Your Strategy Must Answer

The 5 Questions Your Strategy Must Answer

Many leadership teams spend significant amounts of time together determining strategies and plans for their organisation. Yet, for many, the resulting strategy lacks both clarity and coherence. As a result, nothing much really changes and managers end up simply...
How To Create A No1 Goal For Your Business

How To Create A No1 Goal For Your Business

When I first worked with the leadership team of Topps Tiles on the company’s strategy, Matt Williams, the CEO, was looking to create a clear focus for growth. Rightly, the team wanted to focus on the company’s performance in wall and floor tiles, but the business...
The Innovation Strategy Test

The Innovation Strategy Test

Innovation is more important to business success than ever. Shortening product lifecycles, the pace of technological breakthroughs and global competition have served to place a premium on companies that can innovate. Yet, while 80% of business leaders say that...
5 Lessons for Better Business Strategies

5 Lessons for Better Business Strategies

Ten years ago, I published my first book, The CEO’s Strategy Handbook. I wanted to write a practical guide on strategy for business leaders, enabling them to lead their teams and organisations to a better, more successful future. As part of the research for the book,...
The 8 Indicators of Successful Strategy Execution

The 8 Indicators of Successful Strategy Execution

A prospect recently asked me to summarise the factors that make the difference between successful and unsuccessful strategies. In my experience, many business leaders can become frustrated that their organisation struggles to deliver a strategy that, in their own...
The 6 Rules of Strategy Delivery Excellence

The 6 Rules of Strategy Delivery Excellence

Success rates in strategy execution are depressingly low. Research suggests that approximately 50% of strategies fail to meet their goals, though other studies have found that less than 10% of strategies are ‘fully’ delivered. So, how do you set up your most important...
Preparing to Succeed in the Post-COVID World

Preparing to Succeed in the Post-COVID World

Over the past few weeks, management teams across the country have worked tirelessly to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business. Looking after the safety and security of your people, managing cashflow and operational emergencies and simply staying...
The 6-Day Strategy: (6) Preparing for Launch

The 6-Day Strategy: (6) Preparing for Launch

I’ve recently been sharing how you can carry out a 6-Day Strategy for your business. I’ve already covered Day 1 on your Current Position, Day 2 on Future Possibilities, Day 3 on Setting the Direction, Day 4 on Defining the Organisation and Day 5 on Shaping the Agenda....
The 6-Day Strategy: (5) Shaping the Agenda

The 6-Day Strategy: (5) Shaping the Agenda

I’ve recently been sharing how you can carry out a 6-Day Strategy for your business. I’ve already covered Day 1 on your Current Position, Day 2 on Future Possibilities, Day 3 on Setting the Direction and Day 4 on Defining the Organisation. The objective of the Day 5...
The 6-Day Strategy: (4) Defining the Organisation

The 6-Day Strategy: (4) Defining the Organisation

I’ve recently been sharing how you can carry out a 6-Day Strategy for your business. I’ve already covered Day 1 on your Current Position, Day 2 on Future Possibilities and Day 3 on Setting the Direction. The focus on Day 4 is to determine the organisation that will be...
The 6-Day Strategy: (3) Setting the Direction

The 6-Day Strategy: (3) Setting the Direction

I recently shared the outline of my 6-Day Strategy and have already set out my approach for Day 1’s session on assessing your current position and Day 2’s focus on future possibilities. The focus of Day 3 is to take the outputs of the first two days’ work and create a...
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