All organizations recognise the importance of strategy creation and execution: strategy is the process of developing the corporate future. Unfortunately, it often doesn't generate the required results. This book presents a new 8-step process for creating a strategy that really delivers. For each step, the book describes the key parts of the process, shows how to avoid the potential pitfalls, and points to the most useful strategic models and frameworks. Readers can see the process in action by following the intriguing case study that unfolds throughout the book. One of the critical determinants of strategic success is to see strategy not just as planning but as a process that involves dialogues with multiple stakeholders, both within and outside the company. This concept is integrated into every phase of the 8-step approach and is at the heart of its effectiveness in creating strategy that delivers in practice.

Create a dynamic strategic plan, central to your organizations ability to make critical business decisions, with this step-by-step walk through the strategic planning process. 10 Steps to Successful Strategic Planning offers a simple 10 step process to assessing your priorities, organizing your goals, and getting your organization on the path to planned success. Loaded with worksheets, exercises, tips, tools, checklists, and other easy-to-use and interactive learning aids, this title guides you through the entire strategic planning process.

The steps you need, for the results you want. There's no shortage of advice out there on how to perform better, and better than others, at work. The problem is knowing which methods are actually proven to work--and how you should act on them to get the best results. In 8 Steps to High Performance, talent expert and bestselling author Marc Effron cuts through the noise with his signature "science-based simplicity" approach to identify what matters most and show you how to optimally apply your time and effort to boost your performance. It turns out that higher performance comes from doing many things well--but some of those things are not in your power to change. Effron reveals the eight key factors you do control and practical steps for improving yourself on each one. You’ll learn: How to set goals that create higher performance Which behaviors predict higher performance in different situations How to quickly develop the most important capabilities Who to connect with and why How to understand and adapt to your company's strategy Why you sometimes shouldn’t be the "genuine" you How to best manage your body to sustain your performance How to avoid management fads that distract you from high performance Research-based, practical, and filled with self-assessments, tools, and templates to support your performance goals at work, this short, powerful book will help you and anyone on your team deliver outstanding results.

′Demystifies strategy making while at the same time deepening our understanding of what the process entails. Their work is a marvellous guide for those striving to make sense of complexity′ - Karl E. Weick, Rensis Likert Distinguished University Professor of Organizational Behavior and Psychology, University of Michigan ′This book is at the very cutting edge of strategic management theory and yet also of immense practical use. It is truly a rare and stunning achievement′ - John M Bryson, McKnight Presidential Professor of Planning and Public Affairs, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota ′Using this book enabled me to facilitate a multicultural team of seven managers so that they very quickly got to grips with the challenges and opportunities facing the organization and developed a realistic workable strategy, whilst at the same time building a real sense of team cohesion and the feeling that individuals had been listened to′ - Alison Devine, Director, British Council, Taipai This lucid and highly-accessible text addresses the challenges of how to build a robust and implementable strategy. Strategy making is seen as something relevant to managers of departments, divisions, SME′s, as well as the top management teams of public and for-profit organizations. Four key routes to creating a strategy are discussed. These routes, when taken together, provide a powerful means for agreeing a negotiated strategy, and comprise: strategic issue management, agreeing organizational purpose, competitiveness from the exploitation and protection of distinctiveness, and the strategic management of stakeholders. The designs have been used extensively, in a wide range of countries, by management teams in all types of organisations.

From the ill-fated dot-com bubble to unprecedented merger and acquisition activity to scandal, greed, and, ultimately, recession -- we've learned that widespread and difficult change is no longer the exception. By outlining the process organizations have used to achieve transformational goals and by identifying where and how even top performers derail during the change process, Kotter provides a practical resource for leaders and managers charged with making change initiatives work.

The bestselling guide to nonprofit planning, with proven, practical advice Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations describes a proven method for creating an effective, organized, actionable strategy, tailored to the unique needs of the nonprofit organization. Now in its third edition, this bestselling manual contains new information about the value of plans, specific guidance toward business planning, and additional information about the strategic plan document itself. Real-world case studies illustrate different planning and implementation scenarios and techniques, and the companion website offers templates, tools, and worksheets that streamline the process. The book provides expert insight, describing common misperceptions and pitfalls to avoid, helping readers craft a strategic plan that adheres to the core values of the organization. A well-honed strategic plan helps nonprofit managers set priorities, and acquire and allocate the resources necessary to achieve their goals. It also provides a framework for handling challenges, and keeps the focus on the organization's priorities. Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations is an excellent source of guidance for managers at nonprofits of every size and budget, helping readers to: Identify the reasons for planning, and gather information from internal and external stakeholders Assess the current situation accurately, and agree on priorities, mission, values, and vision Prioritize goals and objectives for the plan, and develop a detailed implementation strategy Evaluate and monitor a changing environment, updating roles, goals, and parameters as needed Different organizations have different needs, processes, resources, and priorities. The one thing they have in common is the need for a no-nonsense approach to planning with practical guidance and a customizable framework. Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations takes the fear out of planning, with expert guidance on the nonprofit's most vital management activity.

You've got a good idea. You know it could make a crucial difference for you, your organization, your community. You present it to the group, but get confounding questions, inane comments, and verbal bullets in return. Before you know what's happened, your idea is dead, shot down. You're furious. Everyone has lost: Those who would have benefited from your proposal. You. Your company. Perhaps even the country. It doesn't have to be this way, maintain John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead. In Buy-In, they reveal how to win the support your idea needs to deliver valuable results. The key? Understand the generic attack strategies that naysayers and obfuscators deploy time and time again. Then engage these adversaries with tactics tailored to each strategy. By "inviting in the lions" to critique your idea--and being prepared for them--you'll capture busy people's attention, help them grasp your proposal's value, and secure their commitment to implementing the solution. The book presents a fresh and amusing fictional narrative showing attack strategies in action. It then provides several specific counterstrategies for each basic category the authors have defined--including: · Death-by-delay: Your enemies push discussion of your idea so far into the future it's forgotten. · Confusion: They present so much data that confidence in your proposal dies. · Fearmongering: Critics catalyze irrational anxieties about your idea. · Character assassination: They slam your reputation and credibility. Smart, practical, and filled with useful advice, Buy-In equips you to anticipate and combat attacks--so your good idea makes it through to make a positive change.