Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable ReviewI read this book when it was first published more than 15 years ago and decided to re-read it recently as various corporate crises occur or continue. (Who knows what the latest Enron and Arthur Andersen developments will be by the time this review appears?) What sets this book apart from almost all others which discuss the same general subject is the fact that Fink's observations, insights, and recommendations are (if anything) more relevant in 2001 than ever before. How can this be true? My answer is that he correctly emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive and cohesive process which consists of four separate but related components: anticipation and preparation, rapid response, follow-through, and post-event evaluation. For obvious reasons, each is critically important but post-event evaluation has even greater importance (and value) if it guides and informs subsequent anticipation and preparation. In an ideal world, seamless anticipation and preparation will eliminate all crises. In reality, "the best laid plans" can almost instantaneously become irrelevant, if not counter-productive. Presumably, major airlines such as American and United as well as the City of New York (not to mention federal agencies) involved some exceptionally talented people to formulate a number of "What if?" scenaria. And then the events of September 11th occurred. The efforts to formulate such scenaria were not invalidated by those events; nonetheless, as in Hawaii almost 60 years ago, the challenge was for various corporate and governmental entities to respond immediately and effectively, as indeed they did. In time, as with the events which occurred on December 7th, the events which occurred last September will be evaluated even as preventive measures are taken and new scenaria are formulated, as indeed they should be.
Fink organizes his excellent material within 18 chapters which are arranged in a sequence appropriate to the aforementioned components. With meticulous care, he defines various terms (thus providing a nomenclature for crisis management which most readers probably did not have before) while establishing a context within which to illustrate and apply those terms. Of greater value, I think, is the matrix of different perspectives which Fink provides. This strategy reminds me of the way Henry James develops his major characters in various novels. That is, look at a given situation from every possible angle. This Fink does brilliantly as he explains how to measure the nature and extent of a given crisis, decide who must do what immediately, how to manage information (he devotes Chapters 13 and 14 to crisis communications), and how to make the most effective decisions under what are inevitably severe pressures ranging from shock and fear to grief and anger within compressed timeframes. He also includes what he calls "A Catastrophic Quartet" in Chapter 17: case studies of crises involving Ohio Savings and Loan, Union Carbide, Procter & Gamble (Rely Tampon), and Johnson & Johnson (Tylenol). Having reached this point in the book, Fink's reader is already well-prepared to recognize various dos and don'ts within the four case studies.
Who will derive the greatest value from this book? My response is decision-makers in organizations (regardless of size or nature) who realize or at least suspect the importance of having a crisis management program already in place, especially now. Noteworthy is the fact that the same observations, insights, and recommendations which Fink shares in this book are as relevant to "catastrophes" involving loss of intellectual property as they are to situations in which there is loss of human life and/or destruction of physical property. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Ian Mitroff's Managing Crises Before They Occur and The Essential Guide to Managing Corporate Crises (in that order) as well as Peter Schwartz's The Art of the Long View. The subtitle of this book stresses the importance of "planning for the inevitable." I could not agree more.Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable Overview

Want to learn more information about Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability ReviewPresident Harry Truman used to have on his desk a sign that read "The Buck Stops Here," meaning he was ultimately accountable for the decisions of his administration. Such transparency seems to be the exception rather than the rule among today's top executives, as such Soundview recommends the book The Accountable Leader by Brian Dive. Not only does the author provide a useful and relevant definition of accountability, but he also asserts that the majority of problems facing leaders comes from the ineffective malaise built into organizations that's directly proportional to the jobs that lack accountability. Dive believes the current absence of accountability among many top execs needs to change, and this charge is based on his argument that the very heart of a sound organization pulses to the beat of effective leadership. Dive further notes that there's a triumvirate of interacting factors that drive organizational success, namely: structure, accountability and leadership. Beyond diagnosing the structural problems of poor organizational design, The Accountable Leader conveys the impact of those designs on retention, happiness and well being of high-potential employees. If you care about keeping your top performers, you need to spend time with this book.The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability Overview

Want to learn more information about The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value ReviewSUMMARY: Strategy from the Outside In is an exceptionally important and very readable new book. The authors have distilled and reconceptualized cutting-edge research into what separates consistently top performing firms from inferior performers. In the process they have greatly advanced the art and science of business strategy. The approach advocated by the authors may be subtle, but the improvement in business performance is significant. At the heart of the Outside-In strategy is what the authors call the four customer value imperatives: 1) Be a customer value leader, 2) Innovate new value for customers, 3) Capitalize on the customer as an asset, and 4) Capitalize on the brand as an asset. Of course, the devil is always in the details. Fortunately, the authors clearly explain these imperatives and provide numerous real-world examples that illustrate how to bring them to life. Strategy from the Outside In is the most important book on business strategy in over 30 years.
FULL REVIEW:
Is there really a need for another book on business strategy?
Michael Porter has been the preeminent thinker and writer on business strategy for the last three decades. His book, Competitive Strategy, is nearing its 60th printing in English. His book Competitive Advantage was described by Financial Times as "The most influential management book of the past quarter century."
According to the publisher of Competitive Strategy, "More than a million managers in both large and small companies, investment analysts, consultants, students, and scholars throughout the world have internalized Porter's ideas and applied them to assess industries, understand competitors, and choose competitive positions."
Unfortunately, as Porter's influence has grown, US business performance has steadily declined. Since Competitive Strategy was first published in 1980, US economy-wide Return on Assets (ROA) of publically traded firms have steadily declined more than 70%. (Source: "Shift Index: Industry Metrics and Perspectives," Deloitte LLP Center for the Edge, November 2009, p. 92). In another study, an international review of 1,854 large public companies, found that, between 1988 and 1998, 87% of them did not even earn back their cost of capital (Source: Chris Zook with James Allan, Profit from the Core: Growth Strategy in an Era of Turbulence
[Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2001], p. 11).
Clearly, there is a significant need for a new approach to how leaders think about business strategy. Many have tried and fallen short. Fortunately, George Day and Christine Moorman (the authors) of Strategy from the Outside In have written a powerful yet easy-to-read book that should influence business strategy for decades.
What makes Strategy from the Outside In different?
First, it is built on well established, peer reviewed, research into what separates consistently top performing firms from inferior performers. This research is made up of more than 3,500 journal articles and books that have come out in the past 15 years on market orientation. This research unfortunately has not migrated from academia to executive leadership because of its abstract nature and scholarly jargon. Day and Moorman do a great job translating the research into actionable strategic ideas for executives. And it is very enjoyable and easy to read.
The book also references contemporary business insights from great books like Blue Ocean Strategy and others. The authors distill the insights from these sources into a new, coherent, and easy to understand approach to strategy, with great examples.
What are the key points?
The authors' convincingly argue that popular strategy theories encourage executives to focus on the firm rather than customers. Six sigma, core competence, right sizing, re-engineering the corporation, and capabilities- or resource-based views of the firm are all internally focused management fads that have left corporations less profitable (on average) today than 20 years ago. In the authors' views, these are inside-out mental models that unconsciously shape the countless decisions made everyday in a company. Unfortunately, these mental models encourage decisions that paradoxically destroy both customer and shareholder value.
Day and Moorman's Strategy from the Outside In model requires executives to make subtle but important shifts in thinking. Inside-Out thinkers believe that customers buy performance features. Outside-In thinkers believe customers buy the expectation of value. Inside-Out thinkers believe that expanding the customer base is crucial. Outside-In thinkers believe customer loyalty is the key to profitability.
The authors' research reveals that consistently profitable firms deeply understand market dynamics. These include a deep understanding of customers, competitors and other elements of the outside world. It is this knowledge that drives all business decisions using what Day and Moorman call the Four Customer Value Imperatives. The imperatives are as follows:
1)Be a customer value leader with a distinct and compelling customer value proposition.
2)Innovate new value for customers.
3)Capitalize on the customer as an asset.
4)Capitalize on the brand as an asset.
Of course, the devil is always in the details. Fortunately, Day and Moorman clearly explain these imperatives and provide numerous real-world examples that illustrate how to bring them to life.
Who should read this book?
First and foremost CEOs must read this book and internalize its insights. Setting strategy and guiding a firm's culture are key responsibilities for all CEOs. Second, each member of the C-suite must read and internalize its insights. Either a firm is fully market-driven or its not. That means Operations, R&D, Finance, HR, Marketing, and all other functions must adopt the outside in mindset. Finally, all middle managers and individual contributors who wish to positively contribute to creating profitable growth. Employees make countless decisions everyday that either move the firm towards its goals or away from it. Reading this book will help them improve their firm's customer value offering and profitability.
Why should it be read?
Though Day and Moorman do not dwell on the metrics of how Outside-In companies outperform their rivals, I am familiar with what the academic research has revealed. Outside-In firms out perform their rivals across the board, including profit growth, innovation, stock price, ROA, ROE, ROCE, customer satisfaction and retention, employee satisfaction and engagement, cost efficiency, and on and on. Read this book because Porter's theory of business strategy has failed. Read it because you need and want to build a consistently top performing company. Read it because your employees and their families rely on your decisions regarding how to successfully run a business. Read it because your firm's shareholders will thank you for bringing the key ideas to life in your business.
Disagreements?
I have a couple of disagreements with the authors:
First, the authors suggest that the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) should be accountable for the Four Imperatives. I disagree. Though there are many brilliant CMOs, most are too tactical and short-term focused. By and large they lack the perspective and political clout to take on this role. In my opinion it must be the CEO's responsibility. The CEO can delegate, but if he/she is not the driver of the Four Imperatives, the strategy will flounder. The CEO must own it.
Second, the author's do not adequately address the critical role of organizational culture in bringing the Outside-In strategy to life. Its been said by others that organizational culture eats strategy for breakfast. I agree. The authors dedicate part of one chapter to this critical topic.
Neither of these short-comings materially effect the value of Strategy from the Outside In. It is a brilliant book that executives will be able to put to good use immediately. Buy it. Read it. Lead it.
Note: The author of this review has not and will not receive compensation for writing this review.Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value Overview

Want to learn more information about Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Hypercompetition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Hypercompetition? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hypercompetition. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Hypercompetition ReviewD'Aveni's view of competition in our global era is right on. Few competitive advantages are truly sustainable, and long-term strategic planning is ineffective. The only long-term sustainable competitive advantage comes from a firm's ability to create short-term advantages that span across numerous competitive arenas - from cost/quality, to know-how, to various types of stronghold positions, to financial muscle. How is that accomplished? By continually disrupting the status quo, changing the rules of the game, by taking an industry in new directions in which competitors' strengths become irrelevant.Strong recommend: lengthy book but "executive summary" is in the 35 page Introduction. Short form paperback version coming out?Hypercompetition Overview

Want to learn more information about Hypercompetition?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Designing Security Architecture Solutions (Wiley Desktop Editions) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Designing Security Architecture Solutions (Wiley Desktop Editions)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Designing Security Architecture Solutions (Wiley Desktop Editions). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Designing Security Architecture Solutions (Wiley Desktop Editions) ReviewI am primarily a systems engineer with an emphasis on system and network security. This book provides an excellent framework and methodology for developing a security architecture from the ground up. It's avoids a purely academic approach by including methods that can be applied in the real world. The book reads well and is indexed in a manner that allows it to be used as a desk reference. This is currently the best security book on my shelf. Buy this book!!!Designing Security Architecture Solutions (Wiley Desktop Editions) Overview

Want to learn more information about Designing Security Architecture Solutions (Wiley Desktop Editions)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast ReviewThis book, the product of extensive work by its authors with small and medium-sized businesses, presents straightforward, concise guidance (right down to hardcopy/softcopy templates) and a rational sequence for developing a strategic plan without a large staff. It draws heavily on the academic work of leading researchers James Brian Quinn (Dartmouth/Tuck) and Michael Porter (Harvard). Its hallmark, though, is its firm grounding in the environment of businesses that cannot ignore daily operational requirements for the sake of planning.
"Simplified Strategic Planning" presents particularly clear, explicit guidance on selecting a corporate focus amid operational chaos and the temptation to serve all comers.
I highly recommend this book for managers at businesses of any size. It will inspire a discipline and sequence--and therefore a useful result--in planning.Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast Overview

Want to learn more information about Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes ReviewFor those marketers who have always had a secret predilection for using their intuition, who've harbored a belief in the hidden power of the right 'fit' in a message - The Hero and The Outlaw reads like a long, drawn-out ahhhhhhhh. Like scratching an itch. Like constant light bulbs going off in your brain, one after another. It drives to the central question behind all the 'buzz' about branding - in what exactly, and where exactly, resides the buried power of a brand? What is its hidden deep source? How come a brand 'pushes our buttons?'
The simple, graceful and very fitting answers are given by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson in their new book The Hero and The Outlaw - Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes. When a brand taps into one of their twelve major archetypes, and does so in a way that feels right and appropriate, then the brand 'works.' Consumers respond, a channel of understanding is opened, the message is received.
The twelve archetypal categories which Pearson and Mark use for their analysis are: Creator, Caregiver, Ruler, Jester, Regular Guy/Gal, Lover, Hero, Outlaw, Magician, Innocent, Explorer, Sage. For instance: Williams-Sonoma is a 'creator' brand, and so is going to carry meaning and resonance for consumers who want to craft something new in their lives. Ivory Soap is the 'purest' example of the Innocent archetype. And if Nike is a Hero brand, you can be sure that the Harley-Davidson brand is an Outlaw archetype.
While all the right brain, intuitive marketers are delighted to consider such a workable and insightful way of thinking about branding, rest assured, their more left brain associates have not been 'left' behind. In an wonderfully holistic way, the archetypal wisdom of Jungian author Carol Pearson is met, like yin with yang, in the rigor, testing and real world measurements of Margaret Mark during her 16-year career at Young & Rubicam's senior levels. Like a one-two punch, Pearson and Mark support intuition with quantitative reason, and round out data with connected imagination.
I learned from this book. Advertisements look different to me now, and I can better perceive when a brand is being true to its self and effective in its message (and sometimes, I now know why). Pearson and Mark's idea that using archetypal patterns can be a more morally responsible way of branding, is a small but intriguing thought, offered almost parenthetically.
Very few business books lead me to what feels like an 'epiphany.' (Tom Peters' Search for Excellence did when I first read it in 1989; so did Sally Helgesen's The Female Advantage in 1990, and Margaret Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science a few years ago.) To me, this book feels as though it contains the same sort of breakthrough thinking, but in terms of how to communicate, with power, in an information-saturated world. I highly recommend it. [475 words]
Cathy Brillson ...the idea farmer
ideafarm@rcnchicago.comThe Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes Overview

Want to learn more information about The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Product Strategy for High Technology Companies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Product Strategy for High Technology Companies? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Product Strategy for High Technology Companies. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Product Strategy for High Technology Companies ReviewAfter founding a leading market research firm and teaching New Product Development at Harvard, I found this book so compelling that our firm has completed a review of our entire new web research product strategy, and come to some startling and highly productive insights on how to proceed and succeed. It is by far the most practical, in-depth guide to achieving competitive new product development strategies I have ever read.
The book shows clearly how to answer the critical questions: 1) Where do we want to go, 2) How will we get there, and 3) Why will we be successful. It shows how to create a Core Strategic Vision that is the foundation for new product success. And it shows how to use that vision to create highly competitive and profitable product lines, particularly in high technology.
Having tested new product ideas for hundreds of companies over the last 25 years, it is difficult to think of more than a handful who couldn't have benefited from not only reading this book, but doing what it recommends.Product Strategy for High Technology Companies Overview

Want to learn more information about Product Strategy for High Technology Companies?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power ReviewI was amazed by Beating the Commodity Trap. I believe that this book is differentiated from most other strategy-based books through 3 main factors. The book takes a long term orientation, provides a big picture view of competitive strategy, and explains the book's sophisticated methodology so well that business people can use it.
First, the book is not concerned with short-term marketing ploys that boost profits and volume for the next quarter. Beating the Commodity Trap focuses on looking into the future. It provides tools that help predict the market in a 2-3 year time range, and focuses on the long term positioning of a product within the market as well as changes in customers' willing to pay for different product or service attributes.
Second, providing tools that reveal the big picture is not an easy task. The book's price-benefit maps couple with a deep understanding of the industry reveals the big picture by showing strategic groups, trajectories of products, and provides the data to discern the motives of rivals. One of the book's outstanding achievements is that it demonstrates how to use price-benefit mapping and analysis in a large number of industries, including the hotel, restaurant, retail, apparel, ship building, consumer electronics, and motorbike industries.
Third, I really appreciate that the author devotes considerable emphasis to explaining the methodology he uses. I found it a concrete and practical tool that plays with two key dimensions of a company's competitive advantage: product positioning and competitive manuevering.
The author has very high credibility. He is a very respected professor and consultant who is able to simplify a complex challenge like commoditization and split it into 3 different types, bringing recognizable cases to solve the challenge of each scenario. I personally enjoyed the author's ability to take the perspective of several competitors simultaneously. In the Zara case, he not only explains Zara's well-known strategy, but he also reveals the less well known responses if its competitors, such as Hermes, Diesel and the Italian silk manufactures. In the restaurant industry the author explains how and why restaurants change their price-benefit ratio to offer better value to customers based on how customers are willing to pay for different cuisines, locations, and different levels of service, décor and food quality. While most managers guess about how much customers are willing to pay for these attributes of restaurants, the authors shows us how to quantify the dollar amounts they actually pay.
I firmly believe that Beating the Commodity Trap enables executives to foresee and identify important marketing challenges that, when addressed using his suggested strategies, can earn significant price premiums for companies, in both manufacturing and service industries.
Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power Overview

Want to learn more information about Beating the Commodity Trap: How to Maximize Your Competitive Position and Increase Your Pricing Power?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Mind Of The Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Mind Of The Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Mind Of The Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Mind Of The Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business ReviewKenichi Ohmae was Chairman of the Japan office of McKinsey & Company, the world-famous strategy consulting firm. He has been described as "Mr. Strategy" and has written several books and articles on strategy-related topics.
Kenichi Ohmae believes that successful business strategies do not result from rigorous analysis but from a particular state of mind. "In what I call the mind of the strategist, insight and consequent drive for achievement, often amounting to a sense of mission, fuel a thought process which is basically creative and intuitive rather than rational." He uses theoretical knowledge from the various academic scholars and puts them in its place - "a place distinctly secondary to creative intuition in the tool kit of the successful strategist." The book split up in three parts, each consisting of 5 to 7 chapters.
In Part I - The Art of Strategic Thinking, the author concentrates on the basics of the mental process. In Chapter 1 - Analysis: The Starting Point, Ohmae introduces the strategic thinking process. He introduces various useful diagrams and flow processes for a more reliable recipe for success: "the combination of analytical method and mental elasticity that I call strategic thinking." In the chapters 2 to 6, the author explores the different directions the strategic thinker can pursue in quest of innovative strategies. In the final chapter of Part I, Ohmae explains how the right mindset for strategic thinking and how to develop the required strategy.
In Part II - Building Successful Strategies, Ohmae shifts his focus from process to content. "In the construction of any business strategy, three main players must be taken into account: the corporation itself, the customer, and the competition." He refers to them as the three C's or the strategic triangle. Within the next three chapters, Ohmae discusses the strategies based on those three C's: (1) "Customer-based strategies are the basis of all strategy. ... There is no doubt that a corporation's foremost concern ought to be the interest of its customers rather than that of its stockholders and other parties. In the long run, the corporation that is genuinely interested in its customers is the one that will be interesting to investors." (2) "Corporate-based strategies are functional. Their aim to maximize the corporation's strenghts relative to the competition in the functional areas that are critical to success in the industry." (3) "Competitor-based strategies can be constructed by looking at possible sources of differentiation in functions ranging from purchasing, design, and engineering to sales and servicing. The main point to remember is that any difference between you and your competitors must be related to one or more of the three elements that jointly determine profit: price, volume, and cost." In the final chapter of Part II, Ohmae discusses corporate strategy. He claims that corporate strategy needs to address two issues: First, the integration between the individual business and the total corporation. And second, should there be a corporate strategy that is different from the individual business.
Part III - Modern Strategic Realities discusses the environmental factors influencing strategy thinking and strategy formulation. The chapters in this part are not as much related to each other as the previous parts. Ohmae identifies and discusses five economic trends that have an impact on long-term business strategies, whereby he notes that the strategic thinker needs to take those trends into consideration when shaping strategies. Due to those economic trends, seven major changes are ongoing in a global perspective. Ohmae discusses those seven changes in a very interesting chapter 14. In the next chapter, the author discusses the various myths and realities about Japan products and Japanese companies, and discusses the four main differences between Japanese and Western companies. This chapter provides some great insights into Japanese strategic and business thinking. In Chapter 16, Ohmae tackles strategic decision making. Ohmae believes that founders of successful businesses do not simply gamble. In his opinion entrepreneurs follow a five-step process for successful, foresighted management decision making: (1) Clear definition of the business domain. (2) Logical hypothesis based on an extrapolation of forces at work in the business environment. (3) Focus on a few strategic options, instead of many, open to the business. (4) The company must pace its strategy and not overreach itself. (5) Management must be prepared to change the basic direction of the business, if conditions demand it. Each of these five steps are discussed in detail. In the final chapter of the book, the author discusses strategy formulation: "... to bring insight to fruition as a successful strategy takes method, mental discipline, and plain hard work." He also discusses the creativity required for the development of business strategy.
Yes, I do like this book. And yes, I do find it difficult to write a review about it. This book is not a guide or framework into Japanese strategic thinking. In fact, Ohmae only really spends one chapter on the difference between Japanese and Western business systems. It is more about the right mind-set for strategy formulation and strategy development. There are some great lines in this book, and the various figures, diagrams and sketches are extremely useful. I wish that I had read this book several years ago as it gives great insights into the strategy process and development. But again, this book is not a guide or framework. It is an excellent complement to books such Porter's 'Competitive Strategy' (1980) and 'Competitive Advantage' (1985). Highly recommended to anybody interested in strategic management and strategy development/process. The authors uses a very simple US-English writing style.The Mind Of The Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business Overview

Want to learn more information about The Mind Of The Strategist: The Art of Japanese Business?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company ReviewThe Science of Success is a rare opportunity to learn how Charles Koch built one of the most successful companies in history. Think about it. This company:
1. Didn't have a sexy product or build a national image
2. Didn't get jump-started with a technological breakthrough, or create a new industry
3. Didn't rely on political connections or Wall Street gurus to help sell its products
4. Didn't, as a privately held company, have access to expansion capital from stock sales, and
5. DID face stiff competition from some of the largest and most competitive companies in the world.
Yet under the guidance of Charles Koch, Koch Industries grew from a relatively small company to the largest privately held firm in the country, along the way building a record of profitability that leaves most companies you thought were successful in the dust.
If you haven't heard of Koch Industries, you're not alone. This story really hasn't been available to the public until now. How did Koch do it? With Market-Based Management, the business philosophy he lays out in this book. The book includes a thorough discussion of what MBM is and how it was used to create phenomenal value for the owners, employees and customers of Koch Industries.
I'm usually highly skeptical of books "written" by successful businessmen. How many truly successful people are really willing to share their secrets? How many really take the time to write a book? But I have some experience with Koch Industries (I'm a former employee and still do some consulting for the company), and I can verify that these are the same concepts Charles Koch has been teaching his employees, from top management on down, for at least 20 years.
Obviously Charles Koch, as a billionaire, doesn't need money from book sales. He truly believes in the principles and applications in this book, and he's genuinely interested in sharing them with anyone who will take the time to read and learn.
Again, a rare opportunity to learn from a master.
The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company Overview

Want to learn more information about The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era) Review
Having lived through the 60s and Viet Nam, I can recognize much of what is in the news today - just change the names. The type of war we now face has had many names: revolutionary war, counterinsurgency, counter terrorism, guerrilla warfare, asymmetric warfare, and so on. One size does not fit all, and it would be a fool who believes that there is a one-for-one match between conflicts. It would also be a fool who ignores the practical, political, and theoretical basis for such conflicts and the extent to which they share characteristics.
This book addresses more the military end. This is not in any way a criticism. This book is very well written and well worth the reading. At the time it was written, armies were attempting to build a doctrinal base to use in such conflicts. In doing so, they also concentrated on the military. Again, this is not in any way a criticism, for doing so is their job. The political aspects of such conflicts are, properly, the job of the civilian leadership.
The Iraq conflict, and the war in Afghanistan, have brought the subject again to the world's attention. My personal opinion is that many are now busy re-inventing the wheel.
For anyone interested in the subject, many books are available. The best of the recent publications is General Sir Rupert Smith's The Utility of Force. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Carl von Clausewitz edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret. On War. is a given, as is Sun Tzu, and Mao Tse-Tung's, Selected Military Writings. Peking, PRC: Foreign Language Press, 1966. Smith gives the best account of the need for combining all factors in a situation such as we find ourselves in now. Wesley Clark also does a good job of describing the complicated nature of modern conflicts.
Other books are listed below, in no particular order. The (H) and (P) indicate if the book is hardcover or paperback.
Thompson, Sir Robert. Defeating Communist Insurgency, The Lessons of Malaya and Vietnam. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Pbulishers, 1966. (H)
Hart, B. H. Liddell. Strategy. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1954. (P)
McCuen, John J.. The Art of Counter-Revolutionary War. Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company, 1966. (H)
Paret, Peter and John W. Shy. Guerrillas in the 1960's, Revised Edition. New York: Frederick A. Praaeger, Publisher, 1962. (P)
Paret, Peter. French Revolutionary Warfare from Indochina to Algeria, The Analysis of a Political and Military Doctrine. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1964. (H)
Guevara, Ernesto "Che." Che Guevara on Guerrilla Warfare. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publisher, 1961. (H)
Bern, Major H. von Dach. Total Resistance, Swiss Army Guide to Guerrilla Warfare and Underground Operations. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 1965. (H)
Guevara, Ernesto "Che". Guerrilla Warfare, A Method. Peking, PRC: Foreign Language Press, 1964. (P)
Clark, General Wesley K.. Waging Modern War, New York: Public Affairs Books, 2002. (P)(Original Source)
Clark, General Wesley K.. Winning Modern Wars, Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire. New York: Public Affairs Books, 2003. (P)(Original Source)
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era) Overview

Want to learn more information about Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Kellogg on Branding: The Marketing Faculty of The Kellogg School of Management Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Kellogg on Branding: The Marketing Faculty of The Kellogg School of Management? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Kellogg on Branding: The Marketing Faculty of The Kellogg School of Management. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Kellogg on Branding: The Marketing Faculty of The Kellogg School of Management Review
The last time I checked, Amazon and its online partner Borders sell more than 8,000 different books on the general subject of brands and brand management. Presumably this number will continue to increase as organizations become more actively involved with marketing initiatives which effectively leverage one or more brands.
What we have here is one of the volumes which comprise a series produced by faculty members at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. It was edited by Alice M. Tybout and Tim Calkins who co-authored the Preface; Philip Kotler provides the Foreword and Calkins the Introduction.
I feel obligated to suggest at the outset that none of the volumes in this series is an "easy read." On the contrary, each requires but will generously reward a careful consideration of its contents which, in this volume, are carefully organized within four Sections:
I (Chapters 1-3) Key Branding Concepts
II (Chapters 4-6) Strategies for Building and Leveraging Brands
III (Chapters 7-13) From Strategy to Implementation
IV (Chapters 14-20) Branding Insights from Senior Managers
There are five themes which are rigorously examined through the narrative: brand positioning, brand design, brand meaning, leveraging a brand, creating a brand-driven organization, and then three chapters are devoted to issues on measurement. I especially appreciate the provision of various frameworks, check-lists (e.g. the five-step process for designing a brand on page 38), "Figures" (e.g Whirlpool's Touch Point Wheel" on page 230), and other tools to assist the reader with clarifying her or his thoughts about branding in terms the specific needs and interests of his or her organization.
Although taken out of context, the following three excerpts are representative of the high quality of thinking and writing throughout this book:
"The word brand has a tripartite etymology. One emphasis clusters around burning, with connotations both of fiery consummation and of banking the hearth. A second emphasis clusters around marking, with connotations of ownership and indelibility, as well as paradoxical allusions to intrinsic essence, whether or merit or stigma. A third emphasis clusters around the delivery of, or deliverance from, danger (stoke, anneal, cauterize; conflagration, possession, aggression). The brand embodies the transformative heat of passion, properly tended. It is bestowed and it is earned. The brand bespeaks the forging of a family." John F. Sherry, Jr. on "Brand Meaning," page 41.
"There are several sources of pioneering advantage. All are derived from the pioneer's unique role in creating the category, in defining the dimensions on which brands compete, and in influencing the importance buyers attach to perceived differences. Simply put, the pioneer plays a unique role... It is perceived different from others, and that perception is valuable in several ways....A pioneer can become the standard against which later entrants are judged simply by establishing the category and being viewed as the near-ideal product. This strong association with the product category means that virtually all other products in the category are now judged by the established standard. Standards in markets take at least two forms -- psychological standards and technological standards." Gregory S. Carpenter and Kent Nakamoto on "Competitive Strategies," pages 75 and 77.

"The differences between technology markets and CPG [consumer packaged goods] markets from a branding standpoint can be categorized into differences related to the market, differences related to products, differences related to customer behavior, and differences related to channels and ecosystems. I use this categorization scheme to discuss the challenges and principles of branding in technology markets. Figure 11.1 [pages 204 and 205] summarizes the key contextual dimensions that form the basis of contrasting brands in technology markets with branding in CPG markets." Mohanbir Sawhney on "Branding in Technology Markets," pages 202 and 203.
This book will be of greatest value to those senior-level executives who need to know their customers better and how to get closer to them, who need expert counsel on how to differentiate what they offer and then with formulating appropriate branding strategies which position their offering, not only as relevant to the given target market but indeed superior in value to whatever is offered by competitors.
Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Kellogg on Marketing edited by Dawn Iacobucci and Kellogg on Integrated Marketing co-edited by David Dranove and Sonia Marciano. I also recommend Harvard Business Review on Brand Management, Alina Wheeler's Designing Brand Identity, William J. McEwen's Married to the Brand, Marty Neumeir's The Brand Gap, Martin Lindstrom's Brand Sense, David A. Aaker's Building Strong Brands as well as Brand Portfolio Strategy, Bill Schley and Carl Nichols Jr.'s Why Johnny Can't Brand, Scott Bedbury and Stephen Fenichell's A New Brand World, Kevin Lane Keller's Strategic Brand Management (Second Edition), Alex Wipperfurth's Brand Hijack, and Douglas B. Holt's How Brands Become Icons.
Kellogg on Branding: The Marketing Faculty of The Kellogg School of Management Overview

Want to learn more information about Kellogg on Branding: The Marketing Faculty of The Kellogg School of Management?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation ReviewAuthors A.G. Lafley and Ram Charan in "The Game-Changer" make the case that innovation - the conversion of a new idea into revenue and profits - does not have to follow conventional wisdom that small companies are better innovators because they are nimbler and have a more coherent sense of purpose. Lafley and Charan alternate throughout the book with Lafley, the operating executive, providing the "how' in how he turned around Proctor & Gamble by operationalizing innovation, and Charan, the organizational and business researcher, providing the "why" of its spectacular success.
Lafley admits to some truth in the small company stereotype but he believes larger companies can be just as innovative as small companies, if not more so. Big companies have significant advantages - scale, management capability, and resources to take risks - that should facilitate innovation. But these advantages are wasted due to layers of management that stretch decision cycle times, internal vested interests to maintain the status quo, and the lack of a growth-through-innovation process.
"Game-Changers" outlines the principles(1) of innovation Lafley developed, the how and why innovation changed P&G's game, and the steps Lafley took to operationalize innovation which has led to the consumer-industry's leading organic sales growth rate. He believes that a disciplined innovation process, like that at P&G, can be central to growth for any company, in any industry. He cautions, though, that one size does not fit all, and each company must adapt the principles to their unique circumstances.
Having spent the past 20 plus years in Silicon Valley shepherding innovative medical technologies to the market, I can personally attest that the acceleration of change today is unprecedented. There are many more opportunities today for teams like mine to disrupt and create obsolescence for larger companies. It appears that Lafley and Charan have got the principles right, and P&G appears to have gotten their application right. The remaining questions are: Will this be sustainable? Transferable? Will game-changers(2) become the next "big thing" in operational excellence?
Footnotes:
1. The principles of innovation include: motivating purpose and values; stretching goals; choiceful strategies; unique core strengths; enabling structures; consistent and reliable systems; a courageous and connected culture; and inspiring leadership.
2. A game-changer is: a visionary strategist who alters the game his business plays or conceives an entirely new game; a creator who uses innovation as the basis for sustaining profitable organic growth and consistently improving margins; a leader who understands that the consumer or customer - not the CEO - is boss; a catalyst who uses innovation to drive every element of business from strategy to organization, and from budgeting and resource allocation to selecting, rewarding, and promoting people; an integrator who sees innovation as an integrated end-to-end process, not a series of discrete steps; a breaker of chains of commoditization who creates differentiated and value-added brands and businesses through innovation; and a hardheaded humanist who sees innovation as a social process and understands that human interaction - how people talk and work together - is the key to innovation, not just technology.
The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation Overview

Want to learn more information about The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal ReviewNot much gets written about business models. I don't know if it isn't sexy enough or it somehow gets bucketed into the sleepfest of most strategy books. The only book I can think of, in recent years, to broach the subject was the self-published Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur.
Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation For Growth and Renewal is a fine exception. Author Mark Johnson co-founded Innosight with author and HBR professor Clay Christensen, and while Christensen has been publishing niche extensions on disrupting education and health care, this book is a wonderful addition to the broader ideas of Innovator's Dilemma and Innovator's Solution. Both of the latter books were incredibly important in explaining how companies lose edge in the marketplace and are often blindsided by innovation, but there were some barriers to understanding exactly how to apply the concepts. Johnson does a great job of taking that next step in Seizing The White Space.
The book is squarely focused on showing companies how to build new businesses in area that are outside their current business models. This could be through replacing an existing business, building new models where there are barriers to consumption, or by filling gaps in the market. The final section delivers roadmap on how to go about the redesign and implementation of your new business model. Cases include Tata Motors and Hindustan Levr (India), Xiameter that grew out of Dow Corning, and Better Place, the Israeli start-up trying to change the automotive business model with electric cars.
Seizing The White Space is surprisingly short at 150 pages which makes the book very accessible. The language and concepts also match that accessibility. The book is worth a quick look, a reminder of the unconscious parts of strategy that you too often take for granted.Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal Overview

Want to learn more information about Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Strategy of Conflict Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Strategy of Conflict? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Strategy of Conflict. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Strategy of Conflict ReviewSchelling's major contribution to game theory (and the study of culture) was the concept of focal points. He observed that in real life bargaining each player would rather make a concession than fail to reach any agreement at all. And there are a wide range of outcomes that would be preferable to both of them than no agreement at all. Now without some procedure to select among those acceptable alternatives, people might never come to a satisfactory agreement. This is where the key concept of "focal points" comes into play. Schelling defines focal points as "intuitively perceived mutual expectations, shared appreciations, preoccupations, obsessions, and sensitivities to suggestion." He criticized traditional game theorists for failing to recognize that "players" actually achieve much better coordination and cooperation when they are able to rely upon focal points. Although he does not make this analogy, it seems that focal points represent some sort of a "templat! e" or "blueprint" that helps to unify understanding and coordinate action. However, for Schelling, "focal points" are quite arbitrary-whether and to what degree they serve to coordinate action and expectations is the key question.The Strategy of Conflict Overview

Want to learn more information about The Strategy of Conflict?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done Review
My dogged desire to get through this book ruined the first half of a windsurfing vacation in Aruba.
It's very, very dry going, and at the end one wonders what, if anything the authors really had to say.
It sounds on the surface like cutting edge management practice. For instance Bossidy and Charan introduce the concept of "the social software of execution" as a key element for creating the framework for cultural change in the organization. They go on to elaborate, "A key component of software is what we call Social Operating Mechanisms". At this point I was on the edge of my chair, ready to absorb what was being teed up as an idea of potentially transformational impact. So what are Social Operating Mechanisms? The authors go on to explain, "These are formal or informal meetings, presentations, even memos or e-mail exchanges - anywhere that dialogue takes place".
Wow - this is really deep stuff...
One wonders why the authors don't simply refer to communication rather than Social Operating Mechanisms. And, as a separate matter, the lack of literacy is surprising. Since when, for example, are memos and e-mail exchanges places?
Stripped of all of this, what the authors have to say is simple common sense that can be summarized as follows:
*Successful companies have the important ability to get things done (or execute).
*Good leadership (knowing people, setting clear goals, following through, etc.) is a prerequisite of execution.
*Reward systems, communications, and feedback processes need to foster action and provide incentives for getting things done.
*Some people are more capable than others are to get things done. These are the people that should be put in positions of authority in the organization.
*Strategic plans need to reflect the real world and link to operational plans. They also need to be tested for feasibility in the context of the organization's capabilities.
None of this is rocket science, that is until one begins to cloak it in management techno speak such as that described above.
And one more thing. The editor should have had a "robust conversation" with the authors about their overuse of the word "robust". It's really annoying.Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done Overview

Want to learn more information about Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing ReviewThis book is a wake-up call for marketing and sales organizations. The old ways of going-to-market are no longer effective in today's business environment.
John Coe clearly understands the new sales paradigm and what it takes to be successful. He shows readers what it takes to:
- Break through the marketing clutter and get noticed.
- Obtain high quality leads and convert them to sales.
- Create and execute an effective campaign.
From the very first page of this book, I was hooked - and I'm a pretty discriminating reader. As someone who specializes in new product launches, I'm pretty cynical about most books since they just keep regurgitating old, time-worn strategies and tactics.
This book is different. Well worth the investment.
Jill Konrath
CEO, Leapfrog-Strategies
http://www.Leapfrog-Strategies.com
Founder of top sales portal:
http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.comThe Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing Overview

Want to learn more information about The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Competing for the Future Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Competing for the Future? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Competing for the Future. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Competing for the Future ReviewCompeting for the Future, by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad focuses on new issues and techniques of strategic planning as discovered, articulated, and reported by the authors, both Professors of Business at the University of Michigan. The main message of the book reads as follows: in order for a company to be a success, the company must create its future instead of following other companies into the future.
By "creating the future" the authors understand defining and exploiting yet unknown future market opportunities. The opportunities do not have to be confined to the company's core competencies (although the book places significant emphasis on utilizing those). Instead, the company can choose to find alternate distribution channels, beneficial alliances, and other creative means of reinventing itself. The authors offer a wide array of management tools to successfully perform the corporate definition of future consumer needs.
The authors emphasize the corporate need for continuous innovation and reinvention. According to the book, many once-successful companies have failed because of their lack of regeneration and their erroneous belief in persistence of yesterday's business practices. Among the ways to successful corporate regeneration, the authors credit corporate diversity on the thinking level as successful means for breaking established corporate "myths" of the right way of doing business. The authors note that hiring personnel from outside industries can bring fresh and vital perspective on the present state of an enterprise.
In order to develop the future, a company must first define it. In defining the future today, Hamel and Prahalad suggest building "the best possible assumption base about the future." The "assumption base" is to indicate to management what changes in the company's products, competencies, and consumer interface are necessary in order to address future customer needs. The collective information about the changes of tomorrow comprises company's vision.
In order to create a successful vision of the future, a company needs dedicated senior management that "can escape the orthodoxies of the corporation's current `concept of self'", and can enlarge the window of today's possibilities as projected into the future. The authors stress that a corporation should stretch the boundaries surrounding its competitive position of today in order to include tomorrow's competition and changes in customer needs. The book defines a successful corporate vision as the one that demands more of the corporation than the corporation is capable of providing today. Such a "stretch" between today's capacities and tomorrow's vision ensures that the company innovates in order to achieve the set goals, whereas "perfect fit [would guarantee corporate] atrophy and stagnation".
The book underscores the importance of basing tomorrow's market vision on core competencies of the corporation rather than on acquisition of other businesses or "grass roots `intrapreneurship'". According to Hamel and Prahalad, core competencies represent "competitive strength" of an enterprise, defined and agreed upon by the company's general management. Building on the core competencies gives the company an immediate advantage over competition that needs to assemble similar competencies prior to entering the competitive race.
The authors note that corporate vision by itself "does not guarantee competitive success". In order for a company to be profitable, the company's foresight should be accompanied by a sufficient executional capacity. Executional capacity refers to continuous leverage of core competencies accompanied by healthy risk mitigation practices. The authors list several tools that can be used to leverage corporate core competencies in order to take hold of future market opportunities. One of the aforementioned tools is the process of aligning corporate operations based on core competencies rather than products and/or business functions. Operations focused on products and services fragment core competencies, and can subsequently truncate corporate opportunities for growth by disallowing deployment of core competencies when the need arises. Another crucial tool in successful execution of corporate vision is a regular review of core competencies together with competencies benchmarking against existing and potential competition in order to assure the company's market position.
In addition to the ideas cited in this paper, the authors describe myriad of ways to enhance tomorrow's competitiveness of an enterprise. Overall, the book is written in a motivational and comprehensive style. Peppered with real-life examples, the book offers thorough guidance to advance in the future marketplace.Competing for the Future Overview

Want to learn more information about Competing for the Future?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design ReviewThis is an expanded edition of a book first published in 2003. In it, Neumeier develops in greater depth several basic ideas about how to bridge a gap between business strategy and design. My own experience suggests that on occasion, there may be a conflict or misalignment rather than a "gap." Or the business strategy is inappropriate. Or the design concepts are wrong-headed. Or the execution fails. Whatever, Neumeier correctly notes that "A lot of people talk about it. Yet very few people understand it. Even fewer know how to manage it. Still, everyone wants it. What is it? Branding. of course -- arguably the most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet." What Neumeier offers is a "30,000-foot view of brand: what it is (and isn't), why it works (and doesn't), and most importantly, how to bridge the gap between logic and magic to build a sustainable competitive advantage." Of course, that assumes that both logic and magic are present and combined...or at least within close proximity of each other.
As others have already indicated, Neumeier provides a primer ("the least amount of information necessary") rather than a textbook. His coverage is not definitive, nor intended to be. He has a crisp writing style, complemented by "the shorthand of the conference room" (i.e. illustrations, diagrams, and summaries). Some describe his book an "easy read" but I do not. When reading short and snappy books such as this one, I have learned that certain insights resemble depth charges or time capsules: they have a delayed but eventually significant impact. For example, Neumeier explains why "Three Little Questions" can bring a high-level marketing meeting to a screeching halt:
1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. Why does it matter?
I also want to express my admiration of the book's design features. They create an appropriate visual context within which Neumeier examines each of five "Disciplines": differentiation, collaboration, innovation, validation, and cultivation. Expect no head-snapping revelations. For many of those who read this book, its greatest value will will be derived from reiteration of certain core concepts which Neumeier reviews with uncommon clarity and concision. Check out the "Take-Home Lessons" (pages 149-157) which include
"A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or company. It's not what you say it is. It's what THEY say it is."
"Differentiation has evolved from a focus on `what it is,' to `what it does,' to 'how you'll feel,' to `who you are.' While features, benefits, and price are still important to people, experiences and personal identity are even more important."
"How do you know when an idea is innovative? When it scares the hell out of you."
Readers having relatively less experience with the branding process will especially appreciate the provision of an expanded (220-word) "Brand Glossary." Neumeier also includes a "Recommended Reading" section in which he briefly comments on each source. When reading business books, I much prefer annotated bibliographies such as Neumeier's to mere lists. For whatever reasons, many provide neither.The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design Overview

Want to learn more information about The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...