Part business guide, part companion workbook, Optimizing Strategy for Results encourages business leaders and management teams to rethink using traditional education and data driven methods in response to volatility. Drawing on their almost 100 years of combined professional experience, the three coauthors introduce their conceptualization of strategy for organizations in a detailed yet flexible seven-stage framework that draws upon innovation, human capital, axiology, and emotional intelligence to produce alignment within an organization with its vision and overall purpose. The guide addresses common misconceptions about strategy before diving into what the authors deem its true building blocks of purpose, core values, and vision. These, they argue, when combined with creativity and emotional intelligence, can result in “continuous opportunities for growth, insights, and competitive advantage.”
The first of three main sections serves as an introductory lesson in strategic theory and emphasizes the importance of human capital in terms of building strategic intelligence. The bulk of information is in the second section, which walks readers through the creative thinking, decision making, and contingency planning stages of the strategy process and includes detailed questionnaires, tables, and creative exercises that illustrate or expand upon the topics presented. The final section instructs readers on best practices for putting these lessons to use, with an emphasis on effective communication and evaluation techniques. Action steps and a summary at the end of each chapter break down the who, what, when, where, and how for all those involved in a particular stage of the strategy process.
The authors warn “strategy often fails or underperforms because we don’t recognize how aligning the diversities of people’s talents, skills, and passions plays a key role in achieving superior results.” The authors have created a clear-eyed, practical-minded guide that prepares corporate leaders and strategists to make plans in dynamic environments. Extensive and thorough, Optimizing Strategy encourages organizational leaders and management teams to put people first and prepare for the worst.
Takeaway: Corporate leaders and management teams will appreciate the “people first” approach emphasized in this strategy guide for volatile times.
Great for fans of: Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff’s The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life, Patrick Bet-David’s Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A