5 Attributes of Effective Strategy Champions

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The start of a new year often marks the launch or refinement of a strategy. Because strategy typically involves change, leaders need a few champions on the strategy implementation team who understand their role as change agents, appreciate why the strategy is necessary, are advocates for the Company’s culture, and have the critical thinking competency to drive the change required for the strategy to succeed. During the implementation, there will be moments when challenges provoke …

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Resetting Your Foundation

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It won’t be long before busy schedules, endless meetings, and heavy workloads again become the norm. Before that happens, and if you haven’t already done so, recognize that this time presents a unique opportunity to assess your business’ progress from “what is” to “what can be.” Your company’s achievements and aspirations rely heavily on your culture as the foundation upon which your business is built. Those responsible for implementing and adapting strategies to achieve your goals behave in accordance …

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Where The Real Power Resides

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When it comes to strategy, those with authority and power are often different people. Leaders may develop and authorize strategy, but the real power to execute it resides with those they lead. The real power is usually foundational, grounded in the company’s culture. Strategy is change; change is risky and the outcome is uncertain. Those charged with implementing strategy, and adapting it in reaction to circumstances, need to understand why the change is necessary, as …

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Investments vs. Transactions

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Enduring customer relationships are the result of continuously creating value for your customer. That value is different for each one, and it evolves over time. What a customer values changes with their circumstances, and in most cases, what they value is more complex than getting the lowest price. The challenge is to remain engaged with the customer when no immediate opportunity is apparent. This is the time to be generous with your experience and competency …

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3 Steps to Resolve Differences

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Your business exists to create value for customers by solving their problems. And sometimes, solving external problems can trigger an internal change, a challenge to your status quo, a need to think differently about opportunities, precedents, and risk. There will be times when proposing solutions for customer problems compels you to first resolve some of your own issues, to improve a product or process. Leaders understand and expect this scenario – a core function of …

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The Power of Remembering

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Remembering is part of who we are – it’s what separates us from all other living creatures. Our Thanksgiving Day tradition honors this reality by dedicating one specific day each year to the simple, explicit concept of gathering to remember why we are grateful, to count our blessings. Sharing our unique stories of successes and failures with one another, of lessons learned, strengthens our identity and culture. It provides a sense of continuity. This is …

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Doing The Hard Part

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One of the lessons I learned years ago, during my first time as the chief executive, was that our business lived on the street, with the customers…more so than inside the walls of our facilities. All around me, inside the business, leaders and their teams made essential contributions to our success, delivering on promises made by our marketing, sales, and customer service folks. Their actions relied primarily on established expectations and known variables around product …

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Evaluating by Observation

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Having signed 52 baseball prospects who would later become major league players, Tony Lucadello is known as baseball’s greatest scout. His discoveries included Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins and Mike Schmidt. The number of his signees making it to the big leagues is far greater than any other scout. And he accomplished this with a territory that included Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, rather than the good weather states of Florida, Texas or California where more …

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Problems & Opportunities

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There are always problems – a parade of challenges that command your attention. Systems are down, people or organizations are working against you, or there’s some compelling difficulty that needs a prompt resolution. There are always opportunities – innovative ideas or new relationships waiting to be embraced. These are chances to create value, to improve something, to move faster, or to help someone progress. And there are always limits – limited time, energy, money and …

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Cross-Functional Improvement Benefits

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Leaders frequently employ process improvement projects to boost long-term business performance, and to build the competency of their people. In addition to the quantifiable benefits generated by these ventures, significant qualitative rewards are also produced that subtly strengthen culture and sustainability. Since a process outcome is the result of actions taken by people, improving a process is best accomplished by those who experience the process themselves. Getting your people engaged in process improvement projects helps them discover how your …

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