Why Best Practices – Aren’t

My thesis is a simple one; Don't copy - create. Don't benchmark against others - benchmark against a unique and better version of you. Don't compete against how others do things, compete against your own thinking. More than 20 years ago I coined the term "next" practices in an effort to focus people forward in their thinking. I've always wondered why any business would want to adopt the same…

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The Outcomes of Strategic Best Practices: Mediocrity and Disappointment

Strategy management processes and the so-called “best practices” most organizations follow have not kept pace with the demands of the marketplace and the performance expectations of shareholders. By definition, best practices are “tried and true,” meaning they have been around for a long time—too long. It is unlikely that you will ever create a competitive advantage following the same practices…

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Get Off The Strategy Merry-Go-Round

Most organizations, and even most strategy consultants, are using strategic planning frameworks built for business models that were designed during the industrial age. These methods are antiquated in both efficiency and effectiveness. They are complex - they are costly - they are slow - they are broken. Whether you are working at a company-wide, business unit, functional, or product level,…

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Leadership Is About Breaking Things

There's often a very subtle difference between those who lead and those who lead well - those who lead well are very forward-focused. If you're more interested in protecting what is than you are finding the answer to what if you might be in a leadership role, but your likely not leading well. Order isn't all it's cracked up to be. In fact, I'd go so far as to say routine is the great enemy of…

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