Notes

Introduction: Why Strategies Fail

[3]

Chapter 1

[4]

[5]

Chapter 2

[6]

[7]

Chapter 3

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

Chapter 5

[12]

[13]

[14]

Chapter 6

[15]

[16]

Chapter 8

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

Appendix A

[21]

[22]



[4] Dan Ariely’s book Predictably Irrational (HarperCollins) says we spend too much time and energy keeping our options open. We’d be better off narrowing sooner.

[6] Tim O’Reilly (who founded O’Reilly Media, coined the term Web 2.0, and is the publisher of this book) has great wisdom on this: create more value than you capture. I agree that’s a great principle, because it creates personal satisfaction, and I believe the money follows passion.

[7] Stimson, William R. “How to Move a Tree,” Ode, April 2008.

[8] Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. The Strategy-Focused Organization. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press (2000).

[9] TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a thought-leadership conference with a focus on ideas that will change the world. The talks are posted on http://www.ted.com/ so ideas worth spreading can be seen by everyone.

[11] Schwartz, Barry. “The Tyranny of Choice.” Scientific American Mind (December 2004).

[12] If you would like more information on brainstorming or creative idea generation, check Appendix A for some resources.

[13] For specific information about brainstorming creative options in inclusive and complete ways, see the exercise called “Generating Options” in Appendix A.

[14] Edward de Bono has some good approaches on how to do this, so check Appendix B for more information.

[15] According to a McKinsey Global Survey (McKinsey Quarterly, April 2008), most companies assess three or fewer options and look forward no more than two years when responding to a competitor’s move. A significant number rely on intuition, and the most frequent response is the choice that is most obvious at the moment the decision is made, for example, answering a price cut with a price cut. Perhaps most alarming, if faced with the same situation again, 60% of executives would respond with the same or even less analysis.

[16] Source: Video of Jonathan Rosenberg at Claremont McKenna College on March 19, 2008.

[18] Or perhaps “#%!&@!!”, depending on the price of the mistake!

[20] If you’re getting everything right the first time, chances are, you’re being very conservative and missing upside opportunities.

[21] FedEx came from a version of Exercise #3. Fred Smith applied the hub-and-spoke idea from the telecommunications and banking industries to his logistics and transportation business.

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