Stories

CLOUDS AND BOXES

Strategy is often an inspiring vision, floating high in the Clouds, while execution lives in Boxes—programmes, projects, and deliverables struggling to stay connected. The gap between them is where strategy either thrives or dies. Too many organisations pour effort into planning, only to watch their ideas drift, never fully landing in execution. So how do we bridge Clouds and Boxes to make strategy real? This story explores the missing link—and why getting it right changes everything.

THE HEROIC LEADER

True transformation isn’t driven by heroic leaders but by creating an environment where everyone is ready to act, adapt, and contribute. By focusing on readiness over resistance, organisations can foster alignment, trust, and collaboration, turning change into a shared journey rather than a top-down directive.

GREASEGUN INNOVATION

In this post, we describe an innovation journey that resulted in an improved and patented greasegun. Also, the key elements we have been able to extract from the story based on an interview with current senior management. Finally, we have looked to see how well their journey aligns with our Six-ITs framework.

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EXCELLENT ECOSYSTEMS

In order to provide the best possible experience to customers or clients an organisation needs to be clear on which of ten Life Areas it intends to focus its offering on. Then it needs to optimise its business ecosystem to ensure it delivers the best service possible in these areas. Finally, it need to manage it performance and metrics within a framework such as the EFQM Excellence framework.

Strategy

BEWARE PAPER NAPKINS!

Making acquisitions seems to be a universally challenging process with very low rates of success. In this story I talk about one such disaster acquisition. At the end I relate it back to today. Nothing much seems to have changed where due diligences are concerned.

Strategy

YOUR ECOSYSTEM AND 2023

As we go into 2023 addressing your business ecosystem can prove to be a vital strategic activity. Attention to aspects of your ecosystem can aid revenue growth on one hand while reducing risk on the other. Here we review one of three matrices we have developed that enable you to review key aspects of your business ecosystem.

Strategy

PATHS TO THE FUTURE

A LIVE Event to explore Pivot Now!™ - a newly-developed approach to choosing the future direction of your organisation. It is identified as a vital element of the Wicked Challenges™ approach crafted by Martin Johnson and Bryce Biggs.

Strategy

A STRATEGIST EXPLAINS

Strategy is often viewed as an entire process. It can be more useful though to see it as an element of the overall planning process. This framework is given the acronym V2MOST - Values, Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, & Tactics. This in turn can be aligned with the management POLC framework - Planning, Organising, Leading, & Controlling. Some of the tools for fulfilling this mandate include Programmes, Projects, Policies & Procedures, & Budgets. See also Pivot Now!™ & Six-ITs™.

Strategy

JUST CAN'T SLEEP

Awake. Irritated. Apple Watch says 02h00. Sleep stats will be bad – again. Bladder? No, brain. The word “Pivot”. Triggered by Phil, the pension fund nominee on your board ..

Strategy