Making Strategy Work

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Making Strategy Work

• Lance Jones
• Working Strategy Associates Ltd
• workingstrategy.co.uk

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Agenda

• The Right Strategy
• Grasp vs. Reach
• Failing Strategies
• Success
• Case Studies
• Successful Strategies
• Recommendations

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The Right Strategy

• Strategy is just a plan
• The right plan is one that works
• Not one we hope will work
• Know where we are
• Know where we are going

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Grasp vs. Reach

• 60 of projects fail
• Strategic output
• Business outcomes
• Matching capability competency with opportunity

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What happens when Strategies fail?
Customers
Investors
Management
Staff
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Successful Strategy

• Understanding the opportunity
• Understanding the competency
• Reflecting capability

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Case Study I ABC

• 4 Disparate but similar businesses acquired
• 17 Different computer systems
• Create one business
• Square pegs round holes
• Withdrawal of funding
• Businesses sold at a loss
• Learning point Know your limitations

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Case Study II A B Society

• Customer centric
• Aware of customer needs
• Surveyed staff competency
• Identified Strategic Capability
• Made an Investment Decision
• Followed the plan through
• Now running profitably

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Successful Strategy
Customers
Staff Competency
Business Capability
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Successful Strategy
Staff Competency
Customers
Business Capability
The opportunity
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Recommendations

• Assess the customer needs
• Understand the business capability
• Assess staff competency
• Evaluate objectively
• Create the plan in possession of the facts
• Use external expertise