Great Strategy and Great Results (HBR Article Collection)

Most companies' strategies deliver only a fraction of their promised financial value. Why? Some executives can't determine whether their strategy or its execution needs fixing--so they overhaul one when they should have attacked the other. Some leaders never communicate their strategy clearly, leaving unit managers confused about how to prioritize their efforts. Still others get sidetracked by operational problems, frittering away time they should have invested in strategic decision making. How to avoid these errors? Apply the rules laid out in this Harvard Business Review Article Collection. Here's a taste: Articulate in simple, concrete, and memorable terms what your company will and won't do to compete. Uncover and debate the assumptions underlying your strategic plan. Continuously monitor performance as you roll out your strategy. Your reward? You formulate sound strategies and make the right midcourse corrections while implementing them. And as high-performing companies have discovered, you can elevate your company's financial performance 60% to 100%. The three Harvard Business Review articles in this collection: "Turning Great Strategy into Great Performance" by Michael C. Mankins and Richard Steele (HBR reprint R0507E); "Transforming Corner Office Strategy into Frontline Action" by Orit Gadiesh and James L. Gilbert (HBR reprint R0105D); and "Stop Wasting Valuable Time" by Michael C. Mankins (HBR reprint R0409C).