On My Mind
I’ve been a small business owner for thirty-three years and because of the size of my business I wear many hats: strategist, investor, researcher, technologist, innovator, processor, and marketer. I could imagine other hats, but those are the primary ones that resonate with me. Those seven “hat areas” are critical to the success of my business and so I have an improvement plan for each of those seven hats. My “7 Hats Framework” helps me grow and develop as a small business owner. What are the different hats that you wear in your work and what is your plan to improve in those areas?

Interesting Stories
The tragic situation in Ukraine has stimulated widespread interest in strategy resources including books and games. On the book front – I’m re-reading two books from my library: (1) Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (2nd Edition) by Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow and (2) Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap? by Graham Allison. These are two classic books on geopolitics and strategy. On the games front – Chess is the game to study to better understand Russia and Go is the game to study to better understand China. Admittedly, I’m much better at Chess than Go, but I’ll keep trying to improve on both games. It is interesting to learn which games are played and revered in any particular country.

Company News
I facilitate the Business Roundtable for the SouthWest Metro Chamber of Commerce on the first Friday of every month from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. We typically meet at a local establishment where we discuss a relevant business topic. Please join our group sometime – details can be found on the Chamber website. My Spring/Summer public event schedule will be available in mid-April. The next public Strategic Improvement Green Belt course starts May 18, 2022 and there are a few seats still available. The brochure is available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website. The next public Strategic Improvement Black Belt course will start in July of 2022.

Intriguing Reads
I recently read the book titled, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today by Jane McGonigal. The book focuses on questions, frameworks, and techniques for imagining different futures which is so relevant today given the uncertainty in the world. I especially liked Chapter 3: Play With Future Scenarios; Chapter 7: Choose Your Future Forces; and Chapter 11: Simulate Any Future You Want. If you want a practical guide for thinking deeply about the future, then give this book a try. You can also read my Visions & Visioning paper on the RESEARCH page of this website. Happy futuring!

On My Mind
My paper on Visions & Visioning is now available on the RESEARCH page of this website. One of the most interesting visions in history was the “Human on the Moon” vision put forth by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieve the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” Here is an excerpt from my paper: “In 1961, the United States was far from having the necessary capabilities to attain the vision. President Kennedy appeared passionate, energetic, and confident during the delivery of the speech. The motivation for the vision was in part driven by the Cold War Space Race against the Soviet Union according to Ted Sorensen who was involved in pre-speech research and the writing of the speech. President Kennedy later repeated similar themes during subsequent speeches including his famous Rice University speech on September 12, 1962. He repeatedly made the case for attaining the vision and promoted it with confidence and passion. The Joint Session speech excerpt was thirty-one words in length. It was reportedly perceived as bold and wildly ambitious by some and impossible to attain by others. President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 and so he did not witness the attainment of his vision. The endeavor was continued after his death by President Johnson and the vision was attained during President Nixon’s presidency.” Please read my paper for other great visions.

Interesting Stories
The Major League Baseball World Series is currently in progress and there are two interesting teams this year – the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves. Controversy surrounds both teams. The Astros won the World Series in 2017 and the team was confirmed to have “cheated” that season in the form of using technology to “steal signs.” The fans of the Braves commonly perform a “tomahawk chop” in unison during games which is known to offend some Native Americans and others. Aside from these controversies, the two teams are evenly matched and it should be a great World Series. Play ball!

Company News
I presented on “Creating a Quality Vision” at the American Society for Quality Madison, WI Section meeting on October 12, 2021. Over thirty people attended the Zoom event and the participants were very engaged and asked great questions. I was supposed to present in person, but the event was moved to Zoom because of the pandemic. There are a number of SIS events on the horizon: the Visions & Visioning short course on November 16, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Green Belt course which starts December 13, 2021; the Visions & Visioning webinar on December 21, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt course which starts January 4, 2022; and the Strategic Improvement Black Belt course which starts January 24, 2022. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
I’ve been studying the annual “Letter to Shareholders” written to Berkshire Hathaway (BH) shareholders by Warren Buffett (91 years old), the Chairman & CEO of BH. The BH website has all of the letters dating back to 1977 which is where I started. Pre-1977 letters exist, but they are not on the BH website. The letters are packed with business insights plus they are very entertaining. The set of letters should be required reading for anyone interested in economics, management, and business. If you want to learn from a legendary business expert, then give these letters a try.

On My Mind
An organizational vision is not necessary or sufficient for organizational success. However, many leaders of organizations have found having a vision extremely valuable in directing and guiding strategic improvement efforts. The following is an excerpt on timing from my Visions & Visioning paper: “Timing is important when creating and communicating a vision. Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM, convened a press conference in July of 1993 after his first 100 days as CEO. He made the controversial statement (Gerstner, 2002): ‘What I’d like to do now is put these announcements in some sort of perspective for you. There’s been a lot of speculation as to when I’m going to deliver a vision of IBM, and what I’d like to say to all of you is that the last thing IBM needs right now is a vision.’ Fast forward to today, Jane Fraser—who became the CEO of Citigroup in March of 2021—is in the process of creating a vision (Benoit, 2021): ‘The bank [Citigroup] is planning an investor day for early 2022, where Ms. Fraser will spell out in further detail her vision for the bank, the first such presentation for Citigroup since 2017.’” If you are going to create an organizational vision, then make sure you get the timing right.

Interesting Stories
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) is defending his World Classical Chess Champion title against Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia). Carlsen holds the early lead after eight games of potentially fourteen games. All eight games have been interesting and exciting, but sometimes not until each player has made 20 or more moves. Players at their level are thoroughly prepared and have memorized the best-known moves for various openings which is referred to as chess theory. Their games become especially interesting and exciting when one of the players departs from the theory (i.e., preparation) leading the duo out of their preparation and into unknown territory. Mikhail Tal—the Eighth World Classical Chess Champion—was famous for his ability to take an opponent into the unknown. According to Tal: “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.”

Company News
I hosted the sixth of six sessions of Analytics Laboratory 2021. This series focused on sharing and learning analytics together. It was inspired by the Monday Night Beer & Statistics sessions hosted by Dr. George E. P. Box who became a mentor and friend of mine during my time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There are a number of SIS events on the horizon: the Strategic Improvement Green Belt course starts December 13, 2021; the Visions & Visioning webinar will be held on December 21, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt course starts January 4, 2022; and the Strategic Improvement Black Belt course starts January 24, 2022. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
Max Euwe—a mathematician from the Netherlands—was the fifth World Classical Chess Champion from 1935-1937. Euwe was known for his ability to incorporate strategic planning ideas into the game of chess. He wrote a classic book titled Judgment and Planning in Chess which was published in 1953. I especially like Chapter 1 – First Steps in Judging and Planning and Chapter 10 – Illustrative Games. If you are interested in strategic planning and chess, then this is the book for you.

On My Mind
Numerous non-Russian companies have either temporarily paused or permanently ceased their operations in Russia. For many of those companies, it was a decision that will have implications for several years into the future and each Board of Directors had to make a decision based upon its values, morals, and business interests. Here are some company statements: (1) Coca-Cola – “The Coca-Cola Company announced today that it is suspending its business in Russia. Our hearts are with the people who are enduring unconscionable effects from these tragic events in Ukraine. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation as circumstances evolve.”; (2) Starbucks – “As I communicated Friday, we condemn the horrific attacks on Ukraine by Russia and our hearts go out to all those affected.” and (3) McDonald’s – “Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine . . .” Let’s hope the suffering ends soon.

Interesting Stories
Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Union finally agreed to a collective bargaining agreement that ended a 90+ day lockout. Fans were getting very frustrated by the lack of contract negotiation progress by all reported accounts . . . it will be interesting to watch game attendance numbers. Fortunately, each team will play all 162 games. One of the most interesting developments coming out of the agreement was the planned introduction of the Designated Hitter role in the National League – pitchers will no longer have to bat. The American League has had that role for quite a while. This change will probably mean fewer bunts and more home runs in the National League. Play ball!

Company News
I presented on Creating a Quality Vision on the evening of February 8, 2022 at the MN American Society for Quality Section Meeting (Zoom platform). Several of my upcoming public webinars and short courses are sold out. The Spring Schedule will be available mid-March. The next public Strategic Improvement Green Belt course starts May 18, 2022 and there are a few seats still available. The brochure is available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
Berkshire Hathaway—a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Omaha, NE—recently released its 2021 Annual Report which contains the most-read “Letter to Shareholders” in the world. That letter is written every year by the 91-year-old Warren Buffett (known as the “Sage of Omaha”) who is the company’s Chairman of the Board & CEO. The Annual Meeting will be held in Omaha, NE on Saturday, April 30, 2022. This event is typically live streamed on Yahoo Finance. It will be interesting what Warren Buffett—and Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman—say about the crisis in Ukraine. This event is a must see either live, live streamed, or later on YouTube.

On My Mind
Many organizations are now several weeks into the implementation of their 2022 Strategic Plan which is a good time to conduct a review to determine if implementation activities and actions are staying aligned with the four key foundational elements of the organization. I wrote about these four items in my Visions & Visioning paper which was published last September: “A vision is one of four key foundational elements commonly addressed during strategic planning . . . the other foundational elements are mission, philosophy, and values . . . A mission describes why the organization exists. A philosophy consists of one or more statements that describe the collective philosophy of the members of the organization. Values are words or statements that describe the deeply-held beliefs of the members of the organization. Values are used to guide member behavior (e.g., Integrity, Teamwork, Respect for People, Inclusion, etc.).” If you have been implementing your 2022 Strategic Plan and have one or more of the four key foundational elements, then this might be a good time to conduct a review.

Interesting Stories
Magnus Carlsen of Norway—who retained the World Classical Chess Champion title recently—won the prestigious Tata Steel Chess 2022 Tournament which was held in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands against thirteen Grand Masters. He won six games and drew seven games. It was another dominating tournament performance by the Champion. Interestingly, the player with the white chess pieces in chess makes the first move of the game and this has been shown to be an advantage because it determines the direction and tempo of the game. There were ninety-one games played in the Masters Division at the Tata Steel Chess 2022 Tournament with the following results: the player with the white pieces won 26 games (28.6%), the player with the black pieces won 16 games (17.6%), and there were 49 draws (53.8%). If you are not very familiar with the game of chess and are challenged to play a game, then choose the white pieces.

Company News
I’ll be presenting on Creating a Quality Vision on the evening of February 8, 2022 at the MN American Society for Quality Section Meeting (Zoom platform). The next public Leading Strategic Improvement two-hour short course will be held on the Zoom platform on March 15, 2022 and the next public Visions & Visioning two-hour short course will be held on the Zoom platform on April 19, 2022. The next public Strategic Improvement Green Belt course starts May 18, 2022. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
I recently read the book The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh. Hanh passed away in January of 2022 at the age of 95. He was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, teacher, and author among other things. He had a profound impact on the world because of his promotion of mindfulness throughout the world. One of the book chapters I enjoyed the most was Chapter 5: One Is All, All Is One: The Five Aggregates (bodily and physical forms, feelings, perceptions, mental functionings, and consciousness). If you want to slow down and think more deeply about your life, then give this book a try.

On My Mind
Many leaders of organizations have found great value in using an organizational vision to direct and guide strategic improvement efforts. Such a vision is not always created in an intentional and formal way. There are two informal visioning situations – the following is an excerpt from my Visions & Visioning paper which can be found on the RESEARCH page of this website: “The first situation is when the founder of a company (i.e., an entrepreneur) experiences a flash of insight and the vision spontaneously and instantaneously appears (i.e., is created)—“My vision just popped into my head.” This vision is idiosyncratic and it might be difficult for the founder to explain its meaning and significance to others. The founder in this situation possesses tacit knowledge. Polanyi (1966) described tacit knowledge as “we can know more than we can tell.” The founder of the company thoroughly understands the vision, but the other members of the organization may never understand the vision—“You had to be there . . . but you weren’t.” The second situation is when the vision emerges unintentionally over time – “It seems clear now – this is our vision.” The vision in this case could involve shared tacit knowledge.” The challenge for a leader in those situations is communicating the vision – sometimes . . . you just have to be there.

Interesting Stories
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) successfully defended his World Classical Chess Champion title in December against Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) by winning four games and drawing seven games. The first five of eleven games resulted in a draw (“tie”), but Carlsen dominated the rest of the way by winning four of the final six games. Carlsen has been the World Classical Chess Champion since 2013 and he has recently commented that he might not defend his title unless he plays eighteen-year-old Alireza Firouzja who was born in Iran and now lives in France. Firouzja would have to win the next Candidates Tournament in 2022 before that could happen. It would be sad for Carlsen to vacate the title – but he feels he has little left to prove except earn a 2,900 rating.

Company News
There are two definite SIS events on the horizon: the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt course starts January 4, 2022 and the Strategic Improvement Black Belt course starts January 24, 2022. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website. There will be several other courses announced in January including Strategic Improvement Green Belt, Strategic Improvement Black Belt, Visions & Visioning, and Leading Strategic Improvement.

Intriguing Reads
I recently read the book titled RUSSIANS VERSUS FISCHER which details the meteoric rise of chess player Bobby Fischer who became the World Classical Chess Champion in 1972 by beating Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. This is one of the best stories about how “One person took an entire system (Soviet Union) – and won!” Every chapter is excellent and the book contains the moves of numerous games. I especially liked the observations of his Russian opponents. Fischer ended his career early and lived an exiled life in disgrace. He eventually died in Iceland.

On My Mind
My paper on Visions & Visioning is now available on the RESEARCH page of this website. Here is an excerpt from the Abstract: “An effective organizational vision can direct, guide, and inspire the members of the organization as they attempt to improve organizational performance from a strategic perspective. A vision is defined here as a conception of the desired distant future state of the organization. In effect, the organizational members are saying, “We want our organization to be different than it is now.” A vision can also be created for other entities such as a business unit, division, department, team, geographic region, performance category, product, service, or project. An organizational vision statement—consisting of text—is one example of a vision, but a vision can also be in the form of an image, a video, or a sound. A vision is neither necessary nor sufficient for organizational success. However, many organizations have found it useful to have some form of a vision. Visioning is defined here as the carrying out of intentional organizational activities for creating and communicating an organizational vision.” Visit the RESEARCH page to see more.

Interesting Stories
The writing process has varied significantly for me from paper-to-paper. One thing is for certain—I never know how a paper will turn out in the end and there are always periods of time during the writing process when the creative ideas are not flowing. My last paper—Visions & Visioning—was especially interesting because of my visit to Mato Paha (Bear Butte) for a vision quest. It added a personal dimension to my research. I’m reminded of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche from his book “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”: “I say unto you: one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: you still have chaos in yourselves.” For those who are inexperienced at writing, you should know that you might feel some chaos during the writing process. However, it just might lead to the birth of a dancing star. Best wishes in your writing endeavors.

Company News
September was a busy month. I was one of the exhibitors at the annual PENworks event sponsored by the Performance Excellence Network (PEN) on September 24. It was a virtual event during which I facilitated three sessions. I also published my research report on Visions & Visioning and conducted my annual conference – the 13th Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference. There were ten great presentations this year. Here were the other presenters in addition to me: Veronica Jaralambides from the MN Department of Natural Resources; Dr. Any Van de Ven from the Carlson School of Management; Peggy Boyd & Marcus Maier from MacDon; Lance Haugen from MNIT; Charlie Lawler from MN DHS Direct Care & Treatment; Kirk Burcar from New Flyer; Jeff Ziegler from Mayo Clinic; Colleen Krohn from MN DEED; and Vern Campbell from Process Management & University of Manitoba. There are a number of SIS events on the horizon: the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt course which starts October 7, 2021; the Introduction to Statistical Control webinar on October 29, 2021; the Visions & Visioning short course on November 16, 2021; and the Strategic Improvement Green Belt course which starts December 13, 2021. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Change & Innovation (2nd Edition) was recently published by the Oxford University Press. The editors are Dr. Marshall Scott Poole and Dr. Andrew H. Van de Ven. This is a must have reference book on organizational change and innovation. The book has numerous great chapters. One of the most interesting was Chapter 8: Eastern Yin-Yang Model of Change by Runtian Jing. Best wishes in your change and innovation efforts.

On My Mind
My research report on Visions & Visioning will be published on this website on September 28, 2021 in conjunction with the 13th Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference. My research approach consisted of a literature review; an in-depth analysis of three organizational visions (case studies); an analysis of one hundred (100) organizational vision statements; and experiential research in the form of a vision quest on Maho Pata (“Bear Butte”). My research has generated many insights including the many roles an organizational vision can perform: direct the members of an organization; guide the members of an organization; focus the members of an organization; help the members of an organization prioritize; help the members of an organization allocate resources; help align all of the organizational units in the organization; inspire the members of an organization; and serve as a standard for evaluating organizational performance. If you want to learn more about Visions & Visioning, then feel free to access my research report on the RESEARCH page of this website on September 28.

Interesting Stories
I once heard Warren Buffett say the following statement which he ascribed to the philosopher Bertrand Russell: “The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” Some of my personal and business habits have changed over the past sixteen months and I’ve also formed new habits. Sometimes the little things—like our unnoticed habits and routines—have a significant cumulative effect on our lives including our health and state of mind. My habit changes have been sleeping more; exercising more; reading more; and listening to more documentary broadcasts. I’m hoping these habits are now too heavy to be broken!

Company News
September will be a busy month. I’ll be attending the virtual Strategic Management Society’s Annual Conference from September 18-21. I’ll also be one of the exhibitors at the annual PENworks event sponsored by the Performance Excellence Network (PEN) on September 24 which will be a virtual event again this year. There are several upcoming public SIS events: the 13th Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference on September 28, 2021; the Fundamentals of Quality webinar on September 30, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt course starting October 7, 2021; the Visions & Visioning short course on October 14, 2021; and the Advances in Hoshin Kanri short course on October 19, 2021. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website. The SIS Fall/Winter Public Event Schedule will be available on September 15. My new research report on Visions & Visioning will be available on the RESEARCH page of this website on September 28, 2021.

Intriguing Reads
The Harvard Business Review is still an excellent source for leading-edge management content. The September-October 2021 issue has an excellent article titled Future-Proofing Your Organization (Pages 42-48) which was authored by Michael Mankins, Eric Garton, & Dan Schwartz. They offered six practices “. . . for companies to follow as they regroup and reorganize for the inevitable recovery”: Think Ahead When Defining Business-Critical Roles; Redefine What Great Looks Like; Don’t Cut Back on Management Development; Tech Up the HR Function; Get People to Engage with Tech; and Figure Out What Tomorrow’s Stars Want from You. Best wishes as you regroup and reorganize!

On My Mind
Performance expectations matter! It was a difficult decision for the leaders of Japan to go ahead with the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 especially given the emergence of the Delta variant and widespread public opposition. Every Olympic event I viewed seemed organized and well-run—sans spectators. Performance expectations are a powerful phenomenon. The Olympic athletes who expected to win a gold medal—but instead earned a silver or bronze medal—seemed noticeably disappointed during the post-event interviews. Their performance didn’t meet their expectations. However, most of the athletes who did not expect to win a medal were elated upon winning a gold medal—or a silver or a bronze medal for that matter. What are your performance expectations? I’m a believer in aiming high (“gold medal”), but the risk is that you could end up being disappointed. I’m just happy to be able to wake up every day and do work that I love. The means have become more important to me than the ends over the years.

Interesting Stories
Diplomatic intrigue, mental health, surprise victories, disappointing losses, world records, come-from-behind finishes, personal best performances, career-ending performances . . . there were so many interesting stories associated with the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Competing for your country is quite different than competing for some other team for many athletes. There is a sense of national pride and representation. The athletes for these games sacrificed much and had to train an additional year. The country-by-country medal counts are always interesting to me: The United States earned 113 medals (39 Gold/41 Silver/33 Bronze) followed by China at 88 medals (38/32/18). I also find interesting the nations at the bottom of the list. For example, Finland earned two medals and Saudi Arabia earned one medal. If you enjoy watching the Olympics, then you don’t have to wait long. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China begins in February. I’ve no doubt Finland will perform better!

Company News
There are several upcoming public SIS events: the Strategic Improvement Green Belt virtual course starting August 9, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Black Belt virtual course starting August 25, 2021; the Regression Analysis webinar on August 31, 2021; the 13th Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference on September 28, 2021; the Fundamentals of Quality webinar on September 30, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt course starting October 7, 2021; and the Visions & Visioning short course on October 14, 2021. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
One of the most useful “how to” books for creating an organizational vision is titled, Visual Leaders: New Tools for Visioning, Management, & Organization Change by David Sibbet. If you are visually oriented, then this is the book for you. The section of the book I really liked was Part Three: Power Tools for Visual Leaders which contained seven chapters: Metaphors & Models; Visual Meetings; Graphic Templates; Decision Rooms; Roadmaps & Visual Plans; Graphic Storymaps; and Video & Virtual Visuals. This is a useful reference book whether you are involved in creating an organizational vision statement or leading a project team. Best wishes as you visualize your future!

On My Mind
Many senior executives today are in the process of creating a new or revised organizational vision statement as their organizations emerge from the pandemic. What are some of the most common types of vision statements? What are some effective approaches for creating a vision statement? My current research project is attempting to answer those and other questions. I’m in the process of analyzing 100+ vision statements which has so far revealed numerous new insights and surprises. There are several different types of vision statements with the most common type so far being what I call “B#1.” For example, “We want to become the best financial services company in the world.” The other common vision statement types seemed more creative and original. The vision quest was an important ritual in many Native American tribes including the Lakota (a.k.a. Teton Sioux). That ritual is explained in detail by Black Elk in the book “The Sacred Pipe” by Joseph Epes Brown. Give Chapter 4 a read if you are interested in studying the details of that ritual.

Interesting Stories
“Went up on the mountain . . . To see what I could see.” Those are some of the lyrics in the song “Dreams” by The Allman Brothers Band. I recently experienced my own version of a vision quest on top of Mato Paha (a.k.a. Bear Butte) in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Some sources say Crazy Horse was born near Mato Paha and that he received many visions on top of Mato Paha during his life. Other famous Sioux including Red Cloud and Sitting Bull were also reported to have visited Mato Paha. My time on the mountaintop turned out to be a surreal experience and I now know why humans have vision quested there over the millennia. The mountain is now in Bear Butte State Park. There is a well-marked trail leading to a viewing platform at the top. The views are spectacular and all five of my senses were heightened – especially because of the ever-present sun, the gale force wind from the North on the first day, and the weaker yet steady wind from the South on the second day. Two primary themes emerged during the two days: Foundation and Synchronization. If you ever need a place to contemplate and imagine your future, then give Mato Paha a try.

Company News
There are several upcoming public SIS events: the Leaning Operations virtual short course on July 7-8, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Yellow Belt virtual short course on July 12 & 19, 2021; the 60-minute webinar on Visioning on July 30, 2021; the Lean Applications in Hospitals & Clinics virtual short course on August 2-3, 2021; the Strategic Improvement Green Belt virtual course starting August 9, 2021; and the Strategic Improvement Black Belt virtual course starting August 25, 2021. The brochures are available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website.

Intriguing Reads
The article titled “Why Do So Many Strategies Fail?” by David J. Collis in the July-August 2021 Harvard Business Review shed some modern light on this important phenomenon. Most organizations have a clearly-defined and well-articulated strategy. However, many strategies fail for a variety of reasons. Collis identified some common mistakes including The Incumbent’s Mistake and The Entrepreneur’s Mistake. The author also discussed the importance of Implementation and Integration. This is an excellent article for anyone responsible for the success of their organization’s strategy process. As Warren Buffett once said: “I’d rather learn from the mistakes of others.”