Good strategy is essential for any organization. So is taking action on that strategy, but successful implementation of strategy must be managed appropriately. One of the dynamics we often observe in organizations is that strategy is not always well cascaded through the organization. In too many organizations, it’s common to … Read more
In theory, if you put a diverse group of people together, they will think diverse thoughts. They will be creative, they will be additive to one another, and they will ultimately come up with a better solution, because the sum of the parts will be greater than any one part. … Read more
To remain competitive in a changing market, organizations must continually strive to deliver more value at less cost. While incremental changes are often necessary and can be very helpful, a company will usually not make great leaps ahead without some measure of breakthrough innovation. But, how does one build innovation … Read more
The world today is experiencing a faster rate of change than ever before. Technological advancement is happening at lightning speed, and this is causing ripple effects throughout organizations, talent, culture, and nearly all aspects of organizational life. As leaders respond to and anticipate in this level of change, they often … Read more
An organization’s culture is a powerful thing. Culture significantly influences the way people think, behave, and relate to one another within an organization, as well as how they relate to customers and vendors. Because of this, its culture directly impacts every aspect of an organization—including its productivity and profitability. The … Read more
In the fast-moving business world, organizations are constantly strategizing to keep ahead of a crowded field of competitors. Time is always a commodity and decisions that take too much of it can cost an organization money, positioning and other setbacks. As a result, there is a tremendous amount of pressure … Read more
To fully benefit from an Agile organization design effort, you need effective teams and means of engaging stakeholders and customers. True to Agile principles, your team should be customer-centric, flexible enough to respond to market changes, and capable of producing design “products” that you can test and implement immediately. But, … Read more
The world is moving fast. Today’s most successful businesses employ agile practices and processes that enable them to keep pace with rapidly changing markets, customer trends, global events and economic shifts. That level of flexibility requires ongoing assessment, analysis and realignment—a willingness to implement work process changes when necessary to … Read more
HR, finance, and other functions play a vital supportive role in every organization. Like the air conditioning in a car, it isn’t essential to getting from point A to point B, but it sure makes the journey much more comfortable. Just as air conditioning with no engine or chassis or … Read more
A colleague once told me a story about an acquaintance of his who was asked to take over management of a failing manufacturing plant in the hopes that he could turn it around. All he did for the first month or two was walk around observing: listening, watching, and learning. … Read more