Revisiting management systems

"Back on October 5, 2020, when I published the first piece in this strategy series, " The Role of Management Systems in Strategy," I was simply responding to a client's question and trying to provide practical advice on the often-ignored fifth box of the Strategy Choice Cascade. I had no idea that first post would be the launch of a series that reaches 263,000 people (at last count) on a weekly basis. It feels fitting for this 250th post to return to the original topic in Revisiting Management Systems: The Nervous System of Strategy."

"That original piece noted that many treat EMS as a lesser choice-a mere implementation detail tacked on at the end. It argued the opposite: that your strategy is not truly complete until you have specified the distinctive management systems (processes, structures, rules, and protocols) that will build, maintain, and reinforce the must-have capabilities that make your "where to play/how to win" (WTP/HTW) choice a reality. The emphasis in that first piece was distinctiveness, noting that generic management systems that simply replicate so-called best practices are a route to mediocrity."

The milestone post marks the 250th entry in a strategy series that began on October 5, 2020 and now reaches 263,000 people weekly. The original piece responded to a client's question about the often-ignored fifth box of the Strategy Choice Cascade. Management systems are defined as the processes, structures, rules, and protocols that build, maintain, and reinforce the must-have capabilities supporting a where-to-play/how-to-win choice. Distinctive management systems are required to enable a distinctive strategy. Generic management systems that replicate so-called best practices produce mediocrity rather than sustainable advantage. Coauthors Steve Goldbach and Geoff Tuff add complementary perspectives.

Read at Fast Company