The Art of Stratey - Japanese Style

Recognize that strategy begins with analysis. The strategist analyzes a set of facts, in the sense of taking the set apart, and then reassembling it in an order that makes sound strategic sense.

The purpose of strategy is to maximize one’s advantage. On a battlefield, this means picking the right place to fight, the right time to attack, the right time to retreat-weighting and re-assessing as circumstances change, but always with maximum advantage in mind. Strategy is intuitive, but it also analytical and vice versa.

The first step in strategy is to identify the one issue that matters most—the critical issue. To do this, you must frame the question properly. Suppose a company is incurring high costs for overtime work. What is the correct question? Could it be, “How can we reduce overtime?” or maybe, “Do we have enough staff?” or perhaps, “Does our staff have the necessary skills to do the work in a timely manner?” Each question would elicit a different response. Clearly, though, it is necessary to answer the third question before moving to the second, and then the first.

Unfortunately, many business people would simply assume away the two most critical questions and focus on the first. It takes a certain disciplined creativity to question what everyone else takes for granted. Some people can intuit the critical issue, but they are scarce. Fortunately, a disciplined method can help anyone arrive at a workable definition of the critical issue. This methodology can apply to a broad spectrum of business issues such as:

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Bobby Ellis
Xspology.com

What Does Your Branding Mean to You? And Better Yet, To Your Customers

Modern firms are thorough and very careful about valuing their capital assets, such as equipment, land, receivables and investments in the implementation of SOX, but their greatest asset is not even included on the balance sheets nor can it be felt or seen. It is the company brand.

Having a good brand can reap you benefits such as:

• It attracts customers who want to buy its products on a repeat basis.
  
• It pre-sells customers on the quality of its products.
  
• Its products can demand a premium in the marketplace.
  
• More qualified on motivated people want to work for it.
  
• It can attract more outside investors and suppliers.
  
• It can prevent new competitors from moving into its space.
  
• Its financial results demonstrably improve
  

When a company dilutes its brand, the result can be a disaster. Just look at Enron, Global Crossing, WorldCom, Adelphi, Tyco, Health South and Arthur Anderson. These firm where the cream of the crop of their respective industry. Now they are either completely out of business or a silhouette of their form selves.

A good brand is intangible and fragile, but it is necessary requirement if your company wants to expand in the marketplace of public perception and build better relationships with customers and vendors.

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Bobby Ellis
Xspology.com