Think piece books
A series of think piece books written by us on critical business challenges facing leaders today. Each issue includes real client stories on our clients and practical tools to help you tackle similar issues in your organisation.
Series one incudes ten issues on ‘Energising the organisation’, covering topics such as: leading with energy, de-cluttering your organisation and building an intuitive organisation.
Our latest series, ‘Making strategy work’ shows leaders what they can do to tackle the tough issues that get in the way of business success.
- Making strategy work series:
Eating the elephant
Worthy visions such as zero waste or zero infections may express an aspiration and capture the imagination. But the reality is that these are elephant-sized tasks that only the brave (or mad) will take on as serious and achievable goals. This is the story of how one organisation set themselves an incredibly ambitious goal and their herculean efforts to achieve it.
Read this book "Eating the elephant"
The first resort, organisation development
The first issue in our second series ‘making strategy work’, this booklet looks at OD as a stitch in time to raise business performance. The first resort includes a snapshot from our research ‘Everything you wanted to know about OD but were afraid to ask’, and chapters on, the business need that OD serves, diagnosis and interventions.
Read this book "The first resort, organisation development"
Making strategy work
Between developing strategy and its successful execution lies a high risk territory where things can go wrong. In this issue we discuss how to head off these risks and realise your ambitions. This booklet also includes client stories on Balfour Beatty, Mondi, Addleshaw Goddard and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Read this book "Making strategy work"- Energising the organisation series:
Issue 10: meaningful engagement
Engagement is one of the most critical processes in a high performing organisation, yet it is often one that falls between the cracks in the organisation chart. Issue 10 includes client stories on AstraZeneca, NHS Live and the Environment Agency, and chapters on: Who leads on engagement?, How do you engage and empower the frontline? and Whose job is it anyway?
Read this book "Issue 10: meaningful engagement"
Issue 09: making strategy live
Many leaders find they spend more time talking about their strategy with the Board than with the rest of the organisation. Issue 09 explores how to make your strategy more than a document, using Billy Elliot: The Musical to tell the story, and includes tips for creating momentum in your strategy planning.
Read this book "Issue 09: making strategy live"
Issue 08: building an intuitive organisation
Applying ‘best practice’ is too often like sticking a bandage on a headache. An organisation needs to understand itself before it can identify what it needs, or how to adapt best practice to make it relevant. Issue 08 includes client stories on Foreign & Commonwealth Office and professional services firms, and chapters on insights from our research, engagement with outcomes and how intuitive is your organisation?
Read this book "Issue 08: building an intuitive organisation"
Issue 07: holding on and letting go
We explore one of the most difficult questions for leaders: what to hold on to in order to keep the organisation on track, what to let go of so that the organisation can discover better pathways. Issue 07 includes client stories on PC World, Balfour Beatty Rail and Birmingham City Council, and chapters on the controlling leader, the enabling leader and leading on principle.
Read this book "Issue 07: holding on and letting go"
Issue 06: de-fogging
Many organisations are caught in the mists of obscure messages and conflicting signals. Strategic communication is about clearing away this obscurity and confusion – de-fogging – and replacing it with clarity to deliver your strategy. Issue 06 includes client stories on Procter & Gamble, The British Library and the Royal Marines, and chapters on who owns strategic communication?, change and reputation, and engaging people in strategy.
Read this book "Issue 06: de-fogging"
Issue 05: decluttering
The uncomfortable truth is that in large organisations huge amounts of peoples time is consumed doing things which add no value. The result is tired people and tired organisations, and this carries a heavy cost. Issue 05 includes chapters on clutter culture, the underlying causes and what can we do to reduce volume?
Read this book "Issue 05: decluttering"
Issue 04: managing the energy in M&As
All creatures respond with a surge of energy to a threat or an opportunity; a change of ownership represents both. Take the practical steps to ensure this organisational energy helps unlock the potential of your new business. Issue 04 includes client stories from Diageo and the manufacturing sector, and includes chapters on understanding energy as an asset, plotting the energy curve and releasing energy.
Read this book "Issue 04: managing the energy in M&As"
Issue 03: leading with energy
Energy matters. But it’s a challenge for leaders to mobilise their people when the goalposts are constantly shifting and they operate in the crossfire of conflicting business and public pressures. Issue 03 includes private and public sector client stories, and chapters on input versus impact, the soft stuff is the hard stuff and taking the lead.
Read this book "Issue 03: leading with energy"
Issue 02: managing energy
Every chief executive wants to look round corners; to know if the organisation is up to task. In this issue we describe how to measure and manage that energy for success. Issue 02 includes client stories on Williams Taylor and Bailey, RuralAid, Rosella and Anstar UK, and chapters on, managing the flow of energy, focussing energy and the Energy Index.
Read this book "Issue 02: managing energy"
Issue 01: the sources of energy
The first in our series, this issue sets the scene; it gives our definition of organisational energy, why it matters and why we need to get smarter at using it as a leading indicator of performance. Issue 01 includes chapters on: Where organisational energy is lost, the sources of organisational energy, and measuring organisation energy.
Read this book "Issue 01: the sources of energy"
