The Sharply-Focused Organization
Strategy formulation and planning are really two different things. And of course the value isn’t in spending three days setting strategy. The point isn’t walls
Strategy formulation and planning are really two different things. And of course the value isn’t in spending three days setting strategy. The point isn’t walls
Strategy isn’t about starting from today and going forward into the future. It’s about defining the future you want and working backwards from it to
For all the benefits of six-sigma, lean, JIT, etc. (and there are significant benefits,) you must not let the focus on efficiency drive out innovation
Being excellent and efficient at getting things done is good. It’s what effective managers do. Being excellent at deciding which things to get done is
Last week I heard from a teacher in the Boston area in response to my piece about accountability. She said, “Wow! This is what I
A significant challenge for management today is accountability. You must count on people doing what is expected of them, and doing it on time.
I used to wonder why it was that when I visit well-respected leaders their desks are clear of clutter. In most cases, there are only
Learning drives competitive advantage. I If everyone in your company does pretty much the same work every day, you will standstill and lose your
If you listen to the business press, you might come away thinking that developing people is all about culture. The message is something like: ‘leaders
Amazon made news last week by raising all employee pay to a minimum of $15. No doubt this was in part a political move to
Make sure your organization is aligned with your strategy. It’s not enough to communicate the strategy. Two examples: Example #1: I was called with an
Last week I was in Chicago and visited the world’s largest and most respected maker of fine stringed instruments, William Harris Lee & Company. They
As a leader, you need to make sure that priorities are aligned throughout your organization, and that people are working on those priorities. To accomplish
Last week I was in Rhode Island where Autumn is beginning to take hold. It got me thinking about transitions and especially the transition that
C-level executives must have discretionary time to work on the tasks that are most important to the company. These include such tasks as strategy, organization
An important challenge any successful executive needs to master is the transition from an operational project focus to a strategic focus. That’s not to say
When I see a company year-after-year forecast sizable increases in revenues and profits and regularly miss the forecast I am reminded of Albert Einstein’s admonition
Nearly every company has experienced a period of prolonged financial difficulty. Growth does not occur in a straight line, but rather in a series of
Newly-promoted executives face a number of significant challenges as they adapt to an executive role. One of the most significant is the ability to think
Innovation and continuous improvement keep operating processes efficient and effective, but too often management processes get neglected and they can cause significant problems during growth.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that employees are voluntarily quitting their jobs at the highest rate since the internet boom in 2001, and most
Having the right strategy and structure is good, but you need to make sure that you have the right key players in every important management
Companies tend to organize by functions: Sales, materials, finance, manufacturing, product development, marketing, etc. But nearly all organizations produce value through a relatively small number
Organization silos occur when employees identify more with their group than with the company. When employees operate in silos they tend to keep information within
Many executives have the opportunity to increase quality and productivity in their organizations, and at the same time reduce demands on their time, simply by
To get to the next level of performance and growth, you need to think differently about yourself, and especially your business. You cannot get to
I’ve been asked what key changes executives need to make in order to have a quantum leap in their effectiveness. What’s interesting about the question
One of the dangers to both employees and companies these days, particularly in small to medium-size companies, is that there tends to be insufficient emphasis
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Most organizations devote a lot more time and money on weak performers than they do on top performers. They think that by investing in the
Here is one of the most common, yet astounding, things that I see in organizations: Direct reports often aren’t clear on what their jobs are.
You need to make sure that the information you receive is not filtered. That can be more difficult than it seems. You have to make
You’re the leader. That means you choose the music that everyone dances to. You need to be out in front and leading, providing direction and
Executing a strategy, implementing a decision, changing a culture, achieving an operating plan…all require the leadership skill of following-up. It is an enormous mistake to
Make sure that non-performers or weak performers throughout your organization know where they stand. I read a Wall Street Journal article this weekend about the
Here are three suggestions to significantly reduce demands on your time: Attract, develop, and retain really good people who report to you. This is very
Build both accountability and managerial skills, especially in newly-promoted managers. Instead of asking a manager for detail on project progress, ask what he or she
A common challenge of leaders is to become a better, more inspiring and energizing communicator. To do that, it helps to change your perspective on