In response to a question about his strategy for an upcoming fight, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson responded, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Tyson got the first part of this wrong: most individuals and organizations don’t have a plan. But he’s right about the second part: even those whoRead more
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Several years ago, I helped the president of a manufacturing company run a strategy initiative. When I walked into the room on the first day, twenty-six eager faces greeted me. Well-intended though he was, my client had inadvertently turned our strategy session into an execution-a session that promised to kill the strategy before it hadRead more
Long before the ink dries on the legal agreement to acquire a company or to merge two entities, the integration strategy should be clear, but in the heat of finalizing the deal, integration is often left until the last minute or ignored completely. Rather than roll the dice, consider the following framework, the Five EssentialRead more
When companies merge or acquire, stakeholders usually expect that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, the facts tell a different story. One plus one does not equal three, and too often it moves shareholder returns to the wrong side of zero. A once-exceptional organization can quickly take a turnRead more
