Advice and Insights From A Practitioner

Tag: Organizational effectiveness

Building Robust Distribution to Support Strategy – Updated October 2012

Introduction During the past year and a half, I have been working with a variety of different client companies to develop and improve their distribution networks. Distribution really matters when you consider that, on average, half of the price of the product is absorbed by activities related to getting that product from producer to the… Read More ›

Strategic Risks – Threats and Opportunities

Figure 1: This is the logo of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the US Department of Treasury. Introduction My last post entitled: “A Prescription for Change” was about tackling change, one of the many strategic risks an organization faces. As every practitioner of strategy knows, strategic planning is a risky business so it… Read More ›

A Prescription for Change

You Can Keep the Change…Say What? One of the tough things to swallow in business is the lip service paid by some executives towards change initiatives. It goes something like this: “Yeah, we know have to change but, we are too busy struggling to keep our clients happy while at the same time trying to… Read More ›

Making a Good Customer Value Proposition Better

Introduction The creators of the Balanced Scorecard, Robert Norton and David Kaplan, view the customer value proposition (“CVP”) as the “heart of strategy”.  They very succinctly stated that: “Strategy is based on a differentiated customer value proposition.  Satisfying [your] customers is the source of sustainable value creation.”[1] A customer value proposition is an offering that… Read More ›

Accountability: The X-Factor in Your Organization?

In this context, “the X-Factor” means a hard-to-describe force, influence or quality that has a positive impact on an organization’s performance. I believe that when an organization possesses and promotes the concept of accountability appropriately, the effect can be the X-Factor for the organization, and thus, result in a key competitive advantage. Going From Accounting… Read More ›

Why Does Your Organization Need A Mission Statement?

Well, first of all, a mission statement can be pretty effective at establishing guidelines for people to follow in an effort to achieve a certain loftier, longer term mission.  In fact, mission statements have been used throughout history and many have indeed withstood the pressures and tests of time. Think religion and the book of… Read More ›

Need an Execution–based Culture? Start By Improving Your Organizational Effectiveness

Conducting a thorough look inward at your company’s organizational effectiveness is a necessary step before you begin a full blown strategic development effort.