November 2006 FAQ:

Question: Our company is hot on the trail of a new business strategy. Any words of wisdom?

Answer: Yes, develop the smartest strategy you can … and then slam dunk the implementation. Plan from the beginning to validate your business strategy and then to get it into “full play” in your organization.

Executives might have an excuse to develop a strategy that turns out not to have been the best idea. Strategy development will always be hampered to some degree by “external uncertainties:” incomplete market knowledge, changes in competitor direction, introduction of new technologies into the industry, etc.

But executives have “no excuse” for a less than perfect implementation of their strategy. Why perfect? Because:

• executives are “in control” of the implementation space and because

• implementation formulas are tried, true and available. 

Implementation is largely an “inside the company exercise” where executives have control. Executives have the power to implement the changes the organization needs for full strategy implementation. Executives are in control and do not have to settle for anything less than perfection … unless they choose to do so.

And implementation of such changes is no longer a mysterious, psychological exercise but instead a formula-driven engineering job. Implementation formulas have been developed and proven over the last decade. Successful organization change is based on mechanical adjustments that can be made in a planned and thoughtful way with predictable outcome.

Bottom line? Smart strategy; slam dunk implementation. There is no excuse for anything less! 

If you have a question you would like to have addressed in the coming months, please give us your suggestions or comments on our guest book.