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 September 2011 Edition
Death, Taxes and Strategy
“Only three things in life are certain: 1) death, 2) taxes, and 3) the fact that today’s strategy won’t work tomorrow. At some point in the future, your products will become obsolete, your customers’ tastes will change, and technology will render your business model uncompetitive. Today’s success will be tomorrow’s old news. The question is not if, but when.”
This quote was written by Robert Simons, a Harvard Business School professor and author of Seven Strategy Questions, a book we reviewed in our March 2011 AlbuonStrategy newsletter. It states the stark reality of business, whether in these uncertain economic times or in times of prosperity.
At Albu Consulting we believe the path to successfully manage the strategic uncertainty described by Simons is by establishing “strategy management” as an organizational competency. By applying the principles of the strategy management process, you and your leadership team will make better decisions, more often and with greater confidence, and you will create greater business value today and tomorrow.
What are the key drivers of the strategy management framework? It is a closed loop process based on the following four principles:
Strategy management is a continuous process. It is the foundation on which you make decisions and the cornerstone of how your employees work. By adopting the strategy management framework, your organization will manage a disciplined recurring process that will keep the strategic plan at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and your business model relevant.
The business environment is dynamic, not static. Therefore, your strategy process needs to adapt to the unexpected. Markets and competitors are constantly changing and while you plan to stay the course, opportunities and threats will present themselves which require a prompt course of action.
Successful strategy execution requires a collaborative environment. To be successful, strategy needs to be a part of everyone’s day-to-day activities. The day-to-day running of a business is time consuming and challenging, and it is often hard to find time to work on strategic initiatives. By taking time to explain the strategy to employees and engage them in the process, their level of commitment to strive to exceed strategic objectives will increase dramatically.
Good Strategy requires flexibility. Some strategies will be successful, while others will not, and new strategies will emerge. Therefore, plans will need to be adjusted and refreshed regularly. This is not to say you should lose sight of your 3 or 5 year vision. The destination might remain the same, but the journey will be modified several times along the way. Accept this as the reality of doing business and managing the strategy.
We strive to help our clients achieve, and exceed all of their goals through excellence in the strategy management process. Call us to learn more about how you can take your company to the next level.
AlbuInfo
Albu consulting is a strategy consulting firm with a focus on establishing strategy management as an organizational competency. We work closely with goal driven, proactive owners/CEOs of middle market companies that are passionate and open to new ideas about increasing the value of their businesses today and tomorrow. We engage and energize leadership teams to formulate robust business strategies and follow through on execution of strategic initiatives.
To learn more, call us for a free consultation. For more information about Albu Consulting, visit our website at www.albuconsulting.com.
Dick Albu, President Rob Krist, Managing Director
RAlbu@albuconsulting.com RKrist@albuconsulting.com
Albu Consulting LLC
1177 High Ridge Road Stamford, CT 06905
Tel: 203/321-2147
Website: www.albuconsulting.com
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