Excellence in Strategy Execution: From Them to Us

1. Them-UsTom Peters/0626.2006

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3. SynonymsPurityTranscendenceVirtueEleganceMajestyAntonymsMediocritySynonymsPurityTranscendenceVirtueEleganceMajestyAntonymsMediocrity

4. Them-Us

5. “Them” “Us”Strategy EXECUTIONStrategy MANAGEMENTStrategy PeopleStrategy “Culture”-ValuesPlanning ActionMarketing Selling/SalesMarketing Customers as Raving FansCustomers ClientsMicro-segmentation Big Stuff (Women, Boomers)Cost minimization Revenue maximizationSynergy/“Efficiencies” Decentralization“Strategic supplier Pioneering supplierProcess ProjectMen WomenLeadership Management + LeadershipStandardization Exceptionalism (53 = 53)

6. “Them” “Us”Big Mid-size (bacteria)Growth by merger Organic growthBuy market share Create NEW marketsEfficient, streamlined Value-creating “PSF” “department” Certainty-predictability Ambiguity-opportunityFearful of losing Aggressive pursuit of winningPlan PrototypeCareful evaluation Another prototypeRevised plan Another prototypePeople/Employees TalentEffective HR department Rockin’ Talent Development CenterBenchmark against the Benchmark against the “best”-“industry leader” “coolest”

7. “Them” “Us”Benchmark “Future”markOrderly career progression “Up or Out” (PDQ)Head HeartIQ EQ“Professional” PassionateStoic, humble leaders Noisy, emotional “characters” in chargeHire for Resume Hire for intangiblesMeasured-thoughtful Relentless, pig-headedapproach determinationTeamwork comes first Teamwork and disruptive individuals equal billingListen to customers Lead customersCustomer “involvement” Intimate-Seamless customer inter-twining

8. “Them” “Us”MBM (Management MBWA by memo/meeting)MBA MFA/School of Hard KnocksShareholder Value Great people-product rule comes first (Shareholder value derivative)Work smart Work hardBuilt to last Built to Rock the WorldReward successes Reward (XCELLENT) failures Quality first! Design 1TQuality first! Innovation 1THigh-quality Jaw-dropping Experience transactionCVs demo consistent CVs feature Magic Moments performanceGood grades Cool stuff Operational excellence World-rocking INNOVATION

9. “Them” “Us”Brand LovemarkBest analysis wins Best STORY wins“Beyond politics” Politics-is-life, the rest is detailsOutsource Best source“Motivate” Send on QUESTS“Motivate” Invite to join adventure“Motivate” Don’t De-motivateMeasured language HOT languageProduct-Service Gamechanging SOLUTION, Thrilling EXPERIENCE,DREAM come true,LOVEMARKPastel Technicolor

10. “Them” “Us”Better Different“Mission success” “Mission EXCELLENCE”Very goodEXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

11. A Life’s Work/More or Less First1966: MBWA/Do>Talk/Listen/Lead From The Front1974: Behavioralism: Do>Talk/IMPLEMENTATION>Strategy1979: 7S/Emphasis on “Soft Ss” (“Hard is soft. Soft is hard.”)1982: “Beyond strategy”EXCELLENCE “Bias for Action”/“Do it. Fix it. Try it again.”“Close to the Customer”MBWA (as metaphor) “Management Style”1990: “Innovate or Die”DesignWomenBrand YouWOW! (Passion. Enthusiasm. Energy. Emotion. Technicolor)2000: “The Work Matters”PSF+BY+WowProjects = V.A. Source #1Brand “Inside”

12. EXCELLENCE. CAUSES.ADVERSARIES.

13. Adversaries B-schools (crappy at soft skills, implementation, leadership) Strategy-is-all By-the-numbers management Dis-passionate management Focus groups Intuition discounted Leading as an intellectual task Leading without passion Cool language in Hot times Dilbert (accepting cubicle slavery) Bigness per se (severe scale limitations—even at Microsoft) White guys! (not really, but enough already) 18-44 emphasis in marketing (geezers > youth for foreseeable future) -Cost > +Revenue (cost cutting more important than organic revenue growth) CI (continuous improvement in an age of discontinuous world) LESS THAN THE NO-HOLDS-BARRED PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

14. M.B.A./M.I.A.*:Talk.(Present.)Listen.(Interview.)Sell.(Life = Sales.)Do.(Execution-Implementation.)Talent.(Recruit-Develop-Retain.)Project Management.(Create. Solicit support. Execution. Adoption-Client “Culture Change.”)Product. (“It.”) Innovation.(Design. Creativity. “Buzz-building.” Politics.)Leadership.(USMA, etc.) E.Q. (Connect.)“Culture” Change. (Lasting impact.) Diversity.(Cross-cultural Effectiveness.)Career Creation.(Brand You life-lifestyle.)Wellness.(Life.) *B.Schools (“M.I.A.” or at most “B.I.A.”—barely in action)

15. Causes/1966-2006 Implementation/Small Wins (Stanford GSB/PhD thesis; 1st on implementation per se) EXCELLENCE (as a worthy business pursuit) Management Style/Corporate Culture Soft “Ss”/7-S (Waterman-Peters complete “business model”; waaaaay beyond Strategy & Structure) Structure > Strategy (“We shape our structures, then they shape us …”—Churchillian paraphrase) Soft Change Levers (> structure; symbols, patterns & settings) Close to the Customer (novel idea, circa 1982) MBWA (Managing By Wandering Around—courtesy a much more intimate than today HP) Productivity through People (novel idea, circa 1982) Chaos/Crazy Times Call for Crazy Organizations Middle-sized companies are cool Re-imagine!/Innovate or Die! Small-ish/Scale & Synergy limits-delusions/anti-Big Mergers

16. Causes/1966-2006 Women/Market opportunity Women/Leaders (right for the times) Design/Design-as-soul Wow! (Hot language) Weird! Passion!/Enthusiasm!/Exuberance! (as Leader Lever #1) Brand You (or else) PSF = Bedrock (add value or bust—every group must demonstrate economic viability) PSF + Brand You + WOW Projects = New Biz Logic Sales/+R > -C (increasing revenue more important than cutting cost) HealthCare/Wellness-Safety-H5N1 Brand = Talent (best roster wins) New VA Ladder/Products-Services-SOLUTIONS-EXPERIENCES-DREAMKETING (Dream Marketing)-LOVEMARK Different > > Better Boomers & Geezers/marketing to new “mega-segment”