The Strategy Stack

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

Unpacking 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)

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.

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.

Over-Reliance on Outside Resources

Large organizations are more capable at dealing with change than ever before, and they are able to do more of the “work” required of a change program. Yet dependency on outside consultants continues, in part, because of: organizational skill/experience gaps, leadership disengagement, and the expanding role of the consultant

Responsibility Mapping

This article is a perennial favorite of our site’s visitors. Crisply defined and reinforced roles and responsibilities increase focus, integration and performance. The article defines generic roles for projects, processes, decisions, etc. RACI Framework of: Responsible (the doers); Accountable (the buck stops here); Consult before (see me first); and Inform after (keep me in the loop).