Our point of view articles are based on insights from the marketplace considered through the lens of our experience and our study.
Great Teams Require Great Communication
Great teams require great communication, as communications is highly correlated with team success. We developed an analytic frame to consider the number of contributors versus the number of readers. We then mapped current enterprise uses and common tools to illustrate “neighborhoods” of communication.
2012 Year-end Favorites- An Overview
One of our mostly-annual series of what we found as our favorites for the year. This year’s year-end favorite categories include Business + Economics, Management, Change Leadership, Book, Engagement, and Your Favorite Post (most visited)
Improved Vetting: Social-Business-Inside-The-Enterprise Case Study
Social business methodologies applied inside the enterprise are highlighted in this case study. The case study shares how the engagement delivered on two fronts: 1) business outcomes (WHAT) and 2) social business outcomes (HOW- including capability building). The vetting process engaged a mix of remote (world-wide) and face-to-face (local) leaders and staff very early in the spin-out’s lifecycle, further accelerating the change.
What to do with the strategy-pak: A starter list
“Like most tools, our strategy-pak(sm) framework has little value unless you put it to use.” We present a starter list of potential uses (WHY) for our Strategy Pak(sm), including best practice checklist, common language, cascading linkages, and planning framework (strategy, strategic planning, analysis and vetting).
Communicate Strategy for Effect
Communicate strategy for effect is one of our perennially most popular articles based on Google Analytics as communications is the glue within the enterprise, projects, change efforts, etc. We share a time-tested frame considering target audience, objective, key messages, how delivered, when delivered, and who delivers.
Enterprise Analysis Framework- Planning for outcomes
“As we work through strategy, there is a natural cascade, or progression, from “why” to “what” to “how”. We need to drive the directional thinking (“why” and “what”) down into execution (“how”) because, and we should keep reminding ourselves of this, at the end of the day we need to deliver business results”
Social Business- Don’t start in the tool shed
Prof. Hamel asks “Are we changing as fast as the world around us?” Keeping up with our changing environment, or ecosystem, is a constant risk for any organization providing a value proposition and is critical in today’s ultra social-business sensitive marketplace. We look at the role social business plays, including a few tools.
Change Leadership II- Understanding Kotter
We explore Kotter’s body of work, as well as a simple change management framework “The Change Formula” (Need for Change X Vision of Future X Steps > Natural Resistance to Change). We overview Kotter’s framework of 8 accelerators, and the necessity of the dual management operating system
This is 3rd of a 3 article Strategy-Pak(sm) series. Based on our work to align a rapidly growing consultancy of experienced consultants for consistency, and applied clean-sheet to a pre-acquisition, publicly traded company. This article focuses on the structure of the strategy stack from Mission to Vision to Value propositions to Themes to Initiatives and KPIs.
A Working Definition of Strategy
This is 2nd of a 3 article Strategy-Pak(sm) series. Based on our work to align a rapidly growing consultancy of experienced consultants for consistency, and applied clean-sheet to a pre-acquisition, publicly traded company. This article focuses on the definition of strategy
This is 1st of a 3 article Strategy-Pak(sm) series. Based on our work to align a rapidly growing consultancy of experienced consultants for consistency, and applied clean-sheet to a pre-acquisition, publicly traded company. This article focuses on the overall architecture including a definition of strategy and its component parts
Best Thought Leadership in Social Business Elements for 2011
One of our mostly-annual series of what we found as our favorites for the year. Let us know if you want to be added to our year-end email list
Execution through Processes, Projects and Communities
Focusing on execution, we touch on each common organizing concepts in the following sections: Process; Project (program and project management); Community (purpose, practice and interest). We also quickly discuss the role of organization, followed by what is best organizing concept (considering sponsorship and breadth of collaboration)
What is most important to successful transformation?
Involvement has always been “Change 101” for NextForge. It is part of our DNA. This article explores employee involvement backed by published research (McKinsey). “Involving employees in change initiatives increases success 3.5 times.” We introduce a moniker for this involvement iGO- individual, Group and Organization.
Agile Framework for Go-to-Market Execution
We begin by considering the tatical and strategic work to be accomplished within the enterprise. Next up is leadership activity, followed by the architecture of participation (guidance, interactions and routines) of how we manage and work. Agile requires people-enabled network, with different skills and organization; but structure is not organization.
Durable Capabilities Required for Social Business Success (5i’s)
We like to bend Professor Porter’s phrasing on “sustainable” a bit to align with Warren Buffet’s metaphoric moats of “durable” competitive advantage. Durable capabilities required for social business success include the 5Is: Innovation (e.g., Hamel’s innovation stack), Information Bias, Informed Decisions (e.g., Bain’s RAPID decision roles), Individual Acumen, and Integration.
New Reality- Organizing and Aligning in the Age of Everywhere Commerce
During 2011 we were referred by a client to a digital marketing agency, Resource Interactive (now IBM iX). Resource asked NextForge to present our point-of-view during their annual conference iCitizen 2011 focused on “how to” organize and align the enterprise for digital marketing, including the use of social business (inside the enterprise). Our presentation was the closing keynote iCitizen presentation in Columbus, Ohio.
Bringing Social Business Inside the Enterprise: What we have learned (so far)
What we have learned so far about bringing social business inside the enterprise: 1) deliver on two fronts (committed results + capabilties); 2) build the new way into the approach; 3) blend traditional, proven tools and methods with emerging collaborative approaches; and 4) adopt a collaborative platform.
