“Ann, I love your Clear Thoughts newsletter. I read every edition. They’re all fantastic, and highly relevant to Medtronic.”
Paul Franson, Clinical IT Development Manager, Medtronic
more...
“I’ve never been to a retreat that was so focused, so fast paced, and with such clear progress throughout.”
Jay Primack, Managing Partner, Moriarty & Primack P.C.
more...
“I wish everyone read this book. Ann Latham’s “Uncommon Meetings” is a quick read, packed with substantive ideas on how to get more out of meetings in less time. Everyone who runs meetings should read it!”
Janet Warren, President, MarCom Capital
more...
“Ann Latham is one of the best business speakers I have heard. She is very experienced, the quality of her thinking is extremely high, and she knows how to deliver her message in an entertaining, concise, and convincing way.”
Dr. Alan G. Robinson, Isenberg School of Management, Author - "Ideas Are Free"
more...
“On a collaborative project with Boeing Phantom Works, Ann did a tremendous job in identifying the cost drivers, producibility issues, and productivity barriers of a supplier organization, all of which were impeding the success of our project.”
Ed Gerding, Chief Engineer C-17 St. Louis, The Boeing Company
more...
“Ann can help you identify the crux of a problem and solutions that will work for you. While others may be good, my 35 years of experience tells me that no one is better.”
Perry Walraven, President and CEO, Performance Controls, Inc. a Subsidiary of Hitachi Medical Corporation
more...
“Ann’s ability to simplify complex issues such that everyone understood their respective roles was a key part of her success. She truly helped us achieve profitable and predictable growth while improving the quality of our methods and processes.”
S. W. Emery, Jr., Chairman and CEO, MTS Systems Corporation
more...
“I would recommend Ann to anyone who wants to make better plans and decisions in less time and with better confidence in the outcomes.”
W. Lowell Putnam, Chairman/CSO, VCI (Video Communications, Inc.)
more...
“’Wow’ sums it up nicely. The way Ann works is impressive: she has a great handle on people, makes everyone want to work together, ensures meetings are focused and valuable, and simplifies the challenges and options so all can reach shared conclusions.”
John Heaps, President, Florence Savings Bank
more...
“You are clearly a gifted facilitator and helped us achieve some important outcomes. The ROI was there.”
Bob Fazzi, President & CEO, Fazzi Associates
more...
“Ann listens, understands, simplifies, reframes, and provides clear advice. I inevitably leave with a new perspective, better decisions, 3 - 4 specific action items, and the resolve and focus I need to get the right things done. If you are looking for a great coach, call Ann.”
Michael Niedenfuehr, Financial Planner, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
more...
“Ann’s book, Clear Thoughts, is the fresh, grounding breath of perspective that every executive needs in order to see clearly despite the daily chaos”
Jane Lansing, VP Marketing, Emerson Process Management
more...
“Ann uncovers common ground, creates opportunity, and guides the group to new shared conclusions in remarkably little time.”
Laurie Fenlason, Vice President for Public Affairs, Smith College
more...
“Working with a diverse group of manufacturing and design team members, Ann was able to gain consensus for improvement initiatives, win over even the skeptical, and move the team forward toward production-readiness.”
Dana Badgerow, General Manager, AeroMet Corporation
more...
“After working with Ann, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone in need of a strategy, plan, arbitration, facilitation, etc.”
Chuck McCullagh, CFO, The Williston Northampton School
more...
“Ann Latham transformed our thinking about how our organization works. This discovery led us to a strategic model that solves our pain and opens new opportunities. She truly lives up to her brand of ‘uncommon clarity.’”
Suzanne Beck, Executive Director, Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
more...
“Ann is a captivating speaker, providing important principles in an approachable, common-sense way. Our audience enjoyed her depth and breadth of knowledge.”
Aimee Griffin Munnings, Esq., Director, Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship
more...
“The process that our committee engaged in was outstanding and the outcome of our work is truly exceptional.”
Russell Peotter, General Manager, WGBY - Public Television for Western New England
more...
“Ann’s work with us helped change the direction of three units very set in their ways and has opened up a myriad of possibilities for growth in the future.”
Joan Schuman, Executive Director, Hampshire Educational Collaborative
more...
“The time and stress saved by one phone call with Ann was astounding.”
Rev. Johanna McCune Wagner, Director of Religious Life, The Culver Academies
more...
Every organization would benefit from the material found in Ann’s audio seminar, “Meeting Mastery.”
Chuck Hatch, General Manager, Packaging Corporation of America
more...
Receive Our Complimentary Newsletter
Are You a Victim of the Current or Steering Toward Your Future?
Are your weaknesses controlling your course like rocks in a channel? Do your most energetic employees set the direction of your company with their energy alone? Or perhaps you tend to scurry after your competition or are propelled by the whims and ambitions of your biggest customer. Is the latest customer crisis or financial disappointment readily discernable in your list of key initiatives? Government regulations, rising energy costs, and many other external factors may be pushing you in various directions as well.
Like tortuous rapids, these formidable forces can send you down a shute you never intended to navigate.
While each of the forces mentioned is a legitimate input to strategic discussions, none should be able to swing the direction of your company out of the blue. But if you don't have a strong, intentional strategy to guide your decisions, any one of these could become the current that dictates your course.
The core of any strategy involves determining:
- What you will provide
- To whom
- At what price
- In what quantity
- For what projected profit
- Now and in the future
This is the obvious part.
The less obvious, frequently neglected, part of developing a strategy involves determining the type of organization you want to be and the capabilities you need in order to deliver that value reliably. Collectively, this set of decisions defines a strategic framework to guide most other decisions. These decisions reach right down to daily details since all of your resources need to be directed at one of two things:
- Delivering value to customers
- Becoming the organization capable of delivering future value to customers
Without this clarity, every operational challenge threatens to swamp your strategy and every random force has the potential to distract you from those two imperatives.
For example, when equipment breaks down, the strategic framework drives the decision to replace or repair because it addresses both immediate and future priorities. When you hire one qualified candidate over another, you are selecting future company strengths. When you improve one process over another you are deciding which process is most important to the future of the company.
And when you react to an event, you are either caving in or doing something that was already in the plan. A rock in the channel should either dash strategic assumptions, driving you back to the drawing board, or be expected, at least more or less, and thus cause no more than a ripple that is resolved according to plan.
To determine how susceptible you are to being swept away by the current, answer the questions below.
- Do you know in what way your products, services and relationships provide a competitive advantage now?
- Are you taking action to protect that advantage and to prevent the inevitable slide to normalcy?
- Do you know where you expect to build an advantage going forward and the expected financial outcomes of doing so?
- Have these decisions been informed by external factors, customer needs, and your own strengths?
- Do you know what organizational capabilities are critical for delivering current and future value?
- Do you have a business process model and supply chain model that makes your strategy profitable?
- Could your managers describe the strategy briefly and clearly?
- Are there plans and accountabilities established to develop the future value and advantage?
- Are resources allocated to support your advantage and the plans for enhancing it?
- Do your employees understand what the customer values, your advantage, and how they must contribute to maintaining, enhancing or achieving it?
- Do daily decisions throughout your organization support the strategy?
- Do you revisit your strategic decisions regularly and when indicated by internal or external events?
- Do you have a process for identifying and selecting your best opportunities for providing compelling value and finding your competitive edge?
- Are disruptive forces measured against the strategic direction and decisions before operational decisions are allowed to derail dedicated resources?
If you answered 'yes' to all of the questions above, you are navigating the current proudly.
If not, you are at risk of spiraling into the next whirlpool. Take action now to ensure your survival and increase your profits. Develop a strong strategic framework and then be sure your employees are aligned and informed.
© 2008 Ann Latham. All Rights Reserved.