Strategic Learning: How to Be Smarter Than Your Competition and Turn Key Insights into Competitive Advantage

259 Pages·2010·3 MB·English

by  Willie Pietersen

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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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