Performance-Based Strategy (PDF)

Executives in today's business environment havenever been busier. Time constraints are ever present. Resources are strained. Strategic planning constantly competes with the tactical demands of running anorganization. To make matters worse, most organizational leaders, whenconfronted with the need for strategic planning, have no idea about how to goabout it. They have plenty of knowledge and information about the organizationand their situation, but no effective tools to analyze their thoughts, to make decisionsthat will lead to effective strategies, and most importantly, to create a planofaction. In Performance Based Strategy, Steve Fairbanks and Aaron Buchko offer a practical set of simple, productive tools that will enableleaders to develop effective strategies. The bookoffers tools that have been tested in small, medium, and Fortune 100 companies, with forprofit and not-for-profit organizations, and across a breadth of industries,such as manufacturing, health care, banking, distribution, transportation,government, and charities, among others. The authors have used these toolsas insiders to turn around companies, and as outsiders in advisory and boardroles.When properly applied, the strategies offered here enable leaders to seetheir situations and organizations in new ways. Managers will be able topresent information in a way that everyone in the organization willunderstand. Executives can provide a sense of direction that will providea framework for decision making that will give guidance to people. Aboveall, applying these tools will enable managers to improve their firm'sperformance.