The Nine Types of Strategy is an excellent tool I developed 25 years ago that remains as true today as it was then in describing the different ways organizations can conceive of business strategy. When tipping points or catalytic moments arise in an industry, or a competitor has gained significant advantage by being first to …
Continue reading “Choosing the Right Organizational Strategy”
I worked recently with the Board of Directors of a large public power company. They needed stronger governance systems. I talked about how effective boards work. I detailed our approach. “With our framework,” I told them, “the board expresses exactly what it wants the organization to achieve in the form of policies. By defining what …
Continue reading “Developing Governance Policies – How Effective Boards Work”
I’ve been working with this one client for about six years, so I know them well. I can recite their history of success – and failure – in setting priorities and sticking to them. Their biggest challenge is a lack of bandwidth to manage any large initiative. Everyone, from the CEO on down, is so busy focusing on client …
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One of our consultants recently facilitated a day of team-building for a client. Her goal was to help the team members understand one another better, build trust, learn the habits of effective teams, and develop operating principles to communicate and work together more effectively. Marcia started the day with an hour-long Straight Talk® workshop. Its purpose was …
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How can understanding communication styles benefit you? If you’re like me, you work with groups of people all the time. Maybe you’re a manager; maybe you’re involved in a volunteer group; maybe you’re part of a sales team or a product development team. The reality is, most everyone works with at least one group or …
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Watching President Obama in the first months following the election, I’m impressed by how much more confident and clear he is in his communication. Without question, the election cycle helped him rediscover his voice. He was decisive and bold this week, for example, in explaining his strategies to reduce gun violence. Perhaps he took a …
Continue reading “Obama Finds His Straight Talk® Mojo?”
Any organization undergoing transition is in the process of managing change. To manage change effectively, the organization’s leaders should look forward and ask themselves important questions, including:
When a major disaster looms, the prepared executive knows exactly what to do. They’ve planned for different scenarios. They have different responses at the ready. At stake is nothing less than the fate of your organization. Even a relatively small crisis can cost your organization dearly if handled poorly. Your crisis management planning should include …
Continue reading “Preparing for the Next Super Storm”
I was working last week with a team of executives in Napa County, California. Our day-long meeting was the culmination of a process that led to redefining the agency’s purpose statement, core values, and vision. We spent much of the day articulating the specific “we statements” that support their core values of Integrity, Service, Excellence, …
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This is a story of what is good customer service – and how the small things matter. Ultimately, it’s a story about trust. What is Good Customer Service? I recently bought a new Nissan hybrid. As part of the deal, I turned in my previous Nissan, which I had leased. The sales manager at the …
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