Strategic Learning: How to be Smarter than Your Competition and Turn Key Insights into Competitive Advantage

242 Pages·2010·3.24 MB·English

by  Willie Pietersen(auth.)

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Copyright#2010byWilliamG.Pietersen.Allrightsreserved.
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData:
Pietersen,Willie.
Strategiclearning:howtobesmarterthanyourcompetitionand
turnkeyinsightsintocompetitiveadvantage/byWilliePietersen.
p.cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN978-0-470-54069-5(cloth)
1. Organizationallearning. 2. Strategicplanning. 3. Leadership.
4. Knowledgemanagement. I. Title.
HD58.82.P5332010
658.40038—dc22 2009042890
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XI
INTRODUCTION XIII
TheNewCompetitiveContext xiv
WinningintheNewEnvironment xvi
ReinventingStrategywithStrategicLearning xvi
WhyThisBook? xviii
GettingtoExcelling xix
PARTI WHATEVERYORGANIZATIONNEEDSTOKNOW
ABOUTSTRATEGY 1
CHAPTER1
TheRealJobofStrategy 3
WhatIsStrategy? 5
WhatKeyQuestionsMustStrategyAnswerforUs? 6
Choice-MakinginAction 8
StrategyandPlanningAreDifferent 12
ClosingtheDoing/ExcellingGap 14
CHAPTER2
DefiningCompetitiveAdvantage:HowMuchMoreValue
DoYouDeliverThanYourCompetitors? 15
MindtheGap 16
v
vi CONTENTS
StretchingtheElasticBand 18
GM’sRacetotheBottom 21
ValueLeadershipthroughaWinningProposition 24
What’sYourWinningProposition? 26
TheMomentofTruth 27
PARTII APPLYINGSTRATEGICLEARNINGTOCREATEAN
ADAPTIVEENTERPRISE 31
CHAPTER3
StrategicLearning:FourKeySteps,OneCycle 33
DoYouHaveaRobustMethod? 34
WhatWereWeThinking? 35
TheTheoryofNaturalSelection 37
ComplexityTheory 39
LearningOrganizations 39
Strategy’sNewMission 40
TheFiveKillerCompetencies 40
TheStrategicLearningCycle 41
WhatWe’veLearnedfromDeming 42
BuildingCapabilitythroughDeliberatePractice 43
CHAPTER4
Learn:UsingaSituationAnalysistoGenerateSuperior
InsightsaboutYourExternalEnvironmentandYour
OwnRealities 47
The‘‘SenseandRespond’’Imperative 48
LearningthroughtheSituationAnalysis 49
AnalyzingCustomerNeeds 51
WhoAreOurStakeholdersandWhyDoTheyMatter? 59
AnalyzingCompetitors 63
InterpretingIndustryDynamics 66
TakingaBroaderView 68
FacingYourOwnRealities 69
Contents vii
PullingTogethertheSituationAnalysis 73
WinningtheBattleforInsights 75
DoingaGreatSituationAnalysis:TheRulesofSuccess 78
CHAPTER5
Focus:ClarifyingYourWinningPropositionandIdentifying
YourKeyPriorities 81
MakingYourStrategicChoices 81
TheParmenidesFallacy 83
ValuePropositionversusWinningProposition 87
WhereDoesYourVisionFitIn? 90
DeliveringSuperiorProfits 90
TheThreeBottomLines 93
YourKeyPriorities 95
HowtheGirlScoutsDidIt 99
DecidingWhatNottoDo 103
CHAPTER6
Align:MobilizingYourEntireOrganizationbehindYourStrategy 109
LeadingaJourney 110
TheGoldenRulesofSuccessfulExecution 112
ClosingtheGaps 113
TheBusinessEcosystem 119
ChanginganOrganization’sCulture 125
AvoidingtheValuesTrap 131
CHAPTER7
OvercomingResistancetoChangeandDrivingMomentum 135
DealingwiththeSourcesofResistance 137
TheLessonsoftheSigmoidCurve 138
TheCurseofSuccess 139
LaunchingtheSecondCurve 142
MaximizeParticipation 146
GenerateShort-TermWins 149
DealDirectlywithResisters 150
SetaShiningExample 154
viii CONTENTS
CHAPTER8
TranslatingYourStrategyintoaCompellingLeadership
Message 157
WhatIsLeadership? 160
BuildingaCathedral 161
Commander’sIntent 162
WhoAretheLeaders? 163
DevelopingYourLeadershipMessage 165
ThePowerofStorytelling 167
TheNeedforRepetition 169
CHAPTER9
Execute:ImplementingandExperimentingintheStrategic
LearningCycle 171
LearningthroughExperimentation 172
LearningfromOthers 174
LearningfromMistakes 175
ExperientialLearning:TheAfter-ActionReview 176
StrategicLearning365DaysaYear 179
PARTIII INTEGRATINGSTRATEGYANDLEADERSHIP 181
CHAPTER10
LeadingthroughaCrisis 183
DealingSuccessfullywiththeUnexpected 184
LearningYourWayOutofaCrisis 186
BuildingReadiness 188
SeizingOpportunitiesduringaCrisis 190
TheHumanDimension 191
CHAPTER11
BecominganIntegratedLeader 195
TheThreeDomainsofLeadership 196
ArticulatingYourLeadershipCredo 199
TheQuestforSelf-Knowledge 201
TheLifelineExercise 202
ApplyingStrategicLearningtoYourself 206
Contents ix
CONCLUSION
The5Cs:Choices,Clarity,Change,Courage,andCompassion 211
TheFiveCs 213
APPENDIX 217
NOTES 219
INDEX 225
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
R
esponsibility for the content and ideas in this book is entirely
my own. However, I could not have written it without the dedi-
catedandenthusiastichelpfromagreat‘‘supportingcast.’’
Firstofall,mythankstoCatherineFredmanforherexpertisein
helpingmerefineandpolishthemanuscript;forremindingmealong
the way about the importance of examples and stories; for her will-
ingness tochallengemeintheinterestsofprovidingclarity; andfor
bringingherkeenprofessionaleyetotheorganizationandstructure
ofthebook.
Credit goes to my two accomplished reviewers, Jeff Kuhn and
Karl Weber. Jeff and I often work together on Strategic Learning
workshops, and both Jeff and Karl helped me on my first book,
Reinventing Strategy. The two of them provided what I value
most—thoughtful and unvarnished feedback—and the book is un-
doubtedlybetterforit.
Amy Deiner from Columbia Business School has been my tire-
less researcher. Amy attended diligently to the business of fact-
checking and locating source reference material, and she brought a
discerning intelligence to this important assignment. Thank you,
Amy.
ThankyouKarenFiskforbringinganeagle-eye,andgreatsensi-
bilitytotheexactingtaskofproofreading.
xi
xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ioweadebtofgratitudetomyliteraryagent,JudithEhrlich.As
shedidonmyfirstbook,Judithcaringlyandmethodicallyhelpedme
navigatethroughallthecontractualaspects.
Richard Narramore, senior editor at John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
provided just the right blend of constructive guidance and creative
freedom,andhedidsowithunfailingcourtesy.Richard,production
editor Lauren Freestone, and all the members of the Wiley team
havebeenapleasuretoworkwith.
Finally,I’dliketosayaspecialthankyoutomyexecutiveassist-
ant, Aimee Chu, for her hard work, loyalty, and dedication. It was
Aimee’softenthanklesstasktoensurethatthemanuscriptwascor-
rectly formatted and to keep track of the various iterations of the
text so that everything was efficiently organized. Aimee patiently
tookcareofthehasslessothatIcouldconcentrateonthewriting.