It is rare to see practice and theory combine as completely as they have in this book. Having had the pleasure of working with Steve and his team, and more importantly, having benefitted directly as an investor, I can attest to the quality of his work. What is so terrific about this book is the clarity of thought and broader framework the authors provide as a scaffold for their very practical advice.
At a time when development of strategies in organizations is characterized by broad-brush, jargon-laden, vacuous discussions, this easy-to-read book reminds readers that crafting meaningful strategies is a challenging task that mandates attention to details. The authors also make the tools come alive by providing interesting anecdotes related to the particular tool in question. In brief, strategic decision makers and students of strategy can benefit greatly from reading this book.
This "how-to" guide has worked well and will work for any group seriously wanting to change direction, change culture, and deliver results. The authors have done a very good job in a straight-forward, understandable and, most importantly, executable way to provide the roadmap to develop a strategy for your organization that will work, and with deep a commitment to communication, lead to results early in the first year of execution.
When it comes to strategy, the business world has plenty of material to choose from. However, few publications include the practical tools that make it all work. Steve Fairbanks and Aaron Buchko deliver a proven recipe with all the utensils needed to succeed. This powerful approach leaves much less room for wasted resources and ancillary projects and instead concentrates on techniques that make a difference. The clarity and focus it has provided to our management team has been remarkable. Our leadership loved using these techniques, all while wondering “why didn’t we think of that sooner?!”
Your key customers and partners will also want to know if your strategy is sound. These tools will give the user command of their situation, and provide a powerful way to communicate it to both internal and external stakeholders.
The authors take the esoteric out of strategy development, which can be paralyzing for many leadership teams. Their actionable tools enable companies to quickly improve their strategy and ultimately their company’s value. I have seen first-hand the power of these techniques in practice, and the results were amazing.