Performance-Based Strategy: Tools and Techniques for Successful Decisions

Executives in today's business environment have never been busier. Time constraints are ever present. Resources are strained. Strategic planning constantly competes with the tactical demands of running an organization. To make matters worse, most organizational leaders, when confronted with the need for strategic planning, have no idea about how to go about it. They have plenty of knowledge and information about the organization and their situation, but no effective tools to analyze their thoughts, to make decisions that will lead to effective strategies, and most importantly, to create a plan of action. In Performance Based Strategy, Steve Fairbanks and Aaron Buchko offer a practical set of simple, productive tools that will enable leaders to develop effective strategies. The book offers tools that have been tested in small, medium, and Fortune 100 companies, with for profit 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 tools as insiders to turn around companies, and as outsiders in advisory and board roles. When properly applied, the strategies offered here enable leaders to see their situations and organizations in new ways. Managers will be able to present information in a way that everyone in the organization will understand.  Executives can provide a sense of direction that will provide a framework for decision making that will give guidance to people. Above all, applying these tools will enable managers to improve their firm's performance.

Table of Contents:
Foreword  Introduction  1. What is Strategy? - Is there a simple "real-world" definition of strategy?  2. The Market and Four P Tool - Is there a simple way to structure my strategy effort?  3. The Bottom-Up Market Sizing Tool - How do we figure out the size of our market in the absence of hard data? 4. The Market Segmentation Tool - How do I better understand the make-up of my overall market?  5. The Segment Niching Tool - Now that my market is sized and segmented, how do I better understand segment niches?  6. The Market Map Tool - Is there a simple yet comprehensive way to characterize the business health of my markets, segments, and niches?  7. The Strategic Environmental Scan Tool - How do I develop an effective plan and strategy in an environment that is highly uncertain, turbulent, and unpredictable?  8. The Product Volume Margin (PVM) Chart Tool - How do I assess the "business health" of my products or services?  9. The Strategic Market Portfolio Matrix Tool - How do I assess the "market health" of my products or services?  10. The Customer Value Analysis Tool - What do our customers really value in our products or services?  11. The Willingness to Pay Ranking Tool - How do I understand my customers' "Willingness to Pay" (WTP) for my products or services?  12. The Product/Service Portfolio Matrix Tool – How do we determine and prioritize which products/services need action?  13. The Poor Man's Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Tool - How do I get the right product/service specification defined in timely fashion?  14. The Process Improvement Guidance Tool - How should we approach our internal cost reduction/value enhancement efforts?  15. The Strategic Outsourcing Matrix Tool - Are we properly outsourcing key elements of our cost structure?  16. The "Critical to Customer" Mindset Tool - How can we enhance our reputation with our customers in the most effective and efficient manner?  17. The Brand Perception Tool - How do we effectively communicate our brand to our customers and our market 18. The Opportunity Sourcing Matrix - How can I prioritize amongst all the potential opportunities in front of me?  19. The Milestone Project Management Tool - How do we successfully manage our product/service improvement projects?  20. The Visual Waterfall Chart Tool - How can I track the status of multiple initiatives in a timely and easily understood fashion?  21. The 90-Day Bucket Tool - How can I keep my performance goals relevant and continually driving proper action and achievement?  22. The Communication Matrix Tool - How do I keep everyone on the same page?  23. The 10-Quarter Tool - Is there a way to help me follow through on the changes I personally need to make?  Index