Lack of Early Planning Solidifies the Status Quo

Lack of Early Planning Solidifies the Status Quo

Course Correction is Difficult if You Start on the Wrong Path

If you are you a business owner who knows where you want to take your company during the next five years, you most likely spend your CEO time developing the competencies and resources required for getting to the next level.  You prevent early entrenchment of bad habits and attitudes, flawed processes and assigning the wrong people to key roles. You know that a well-designed strategy impacts customer experience, innovation, unique value proposition, target markets, products and services, process excellence, profitability, market share, customer relationships, hiring, training and partnerships.  So, if this is you and you’re ready for the next logical steps …

Andiamo!  Let’s Go!

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By John Bernardi

Lack of Early Planning Solidifies the Status Quo

What Prevents Your Company from Moving to the Next Level?

If you are you a business owner who knows where you want to take your company during the next five years, I’m confident that you spend your CEO time developing the competencies and resources required for getting to the next level - however you may define it.  You prevent early entrenchment of bad habits and attitudes, flawed processes and assigning the wrong people to key roles. You know that a well-designed strategy impacts customer experience, innovation, unique value proposition, target markets, products and services, process excellence, profitability, market share, customer relationships, hiring, training and partnerships.  So, if this is you and you’re ready for the next logical steps …

Andiamo!  Let’s Go!

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Marketing Competency Must Fit Your Strategy

Marketing Competencies Must Match Your Strategy For Creating Value, Positioning Your Brand And Fostering the Right Selling Process

Which Marketing Competency Fits Your Strategy?

What Is Your Current Marketing Competency?

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By John Bernardi

Should You Raise Your Marketing Environment to Hallmark Status?

Excellent execution of an adequate plan will produce stronger results than adequate execution of an excellent plan.

Who will identify which changes are necessary to raise an important aspect of your business to the next level?

Who will implement your changes?

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Business Students Should Study History

Business schools should cull relevant history into snippets that form the basis of a course on strategies and leadership.  This history can be applied in business situations where there's a need to leverage an opportunity or confront a threat.

A great example is the strategy that Teddy Roosevelt used to influence the building of a 50 mile canal that would cross the Colombian isthmus of Panama and unite the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  The 13,000 mile New York to San Francisco journey took months as ships navigated around the treacherous Cape Horn. A canal would save hundreds of miles and man-hours.  Even President Ulysses Grant had sent seven expeditions to study its feasibility.

Roosevelt tried to negotiate with Columbia, but Colombia eventually lost interest. Then, Roosevelt and Panamanian business leaders collaborated on a revolution. The Battle for Panama lasted less than a day as Colombian soldiers were bribed $50 each to lay down their arms and the U.S.S. Nashville cruised off the Panamanian coast in a show of support.  On November 3, 1903, the nation of Panama was born.  The rest is history. This is an example of an indirect approach to achieve a goal.

An indirect strategy might be the best approach in certain opportunity management, market penetration, market development and product development situations.  Holden International teaches about indirect strategy in managing sales opportunities in its book, Power Base Selling.

The Al Dente` Approach to Marketing

The Al Dente` Marketing Strategy

Throw it on the wall and see what sticks

This strategy is followed by many marketers and it doesn't work very well.  Create a master plan and make sure everything you do is aligned with it.

Good Mission Statements Are Sustainable

Yesterday I read an interesting post on Seth Godins' blog There's nothing wrong with having a plan. Seth's message is that over time plans succeed and fail and need to be updated, but your company's mission should be bullet proof and stable - the beacon that drives your plans. 

So, what should a mission statement include?  Here are some ideas to mull around:

Mission statements define why a company exists. With underpinnings of trust and integrity, a mission statement must address employees, customers and partners, community [online and offline, cause based and industrial categories] and financial results.

• Employee satisfaction based on accomplishment and pride in belonging to something excellent
• Customers and partners value the quality of their experiences with your company as much as they do the products and services they purchase.  It is our goal for them to have an excellent experience throughout their lifetime relationship.  We make it easy for them to do business with us.  Interaction is smooth and easy and we enable communications through the means they prefer.  We provide useful information to them.  We guarantee our work.  We quickly follow up to correct experience gaps.
• A visible member of the community through sponsorships and participation in events.
• Results measured in financial, marketing and operations terms