The document discusses the concept of 'transient advantage' as presented by Rita McGrath and its implications for associations compared to commercial organizations. It includes key questions for reflection on strategic assessments, potential risks of disruption, and necessary adaptations in business strategies. Additionally, it highlights the importance of continuous innovation and personal career management within the evolving landscape of competitive advantage.

2. The
End
of
Compe--ve
Advantage:
How
to
Keep
Your
Strategy
Moving
as
Fast
as
Your
Business
By
Rita
McGrath
Key
Ques-ons,
Useful
Resources
&
Session
Slides
May
20,
2014
Moderator:
Tom
Hood,
CPA,CITP.CGMA,
CEO
&
Chief
Strategist,
Maryland
Associa-on
of
CPAs/Business
Learning
Ins-tute
Mary
Lynn
Fayoumi,
CAE,
GPHR,
President
&
CEO
Management
Associa-on
Greg
Fine,
CAE,
Global
Chief
Execu-ve
Officer
Turnaround
Management
Associa-on
R.
Norris
Orms,
CAE,
FACHE,
Execu-ve
Vice
President
&
COO
HIMSS

3. The
End
of
Compe--ve
Advantage:
How
to
Keep
Your
Strategy
Moving
as
Fast
as
Your
Business
By
Rita
McGrath
Key
Ques-ons
for
Discussion
• Are associations really that different than commercial organizations, is there really a
strategy playbook?
• What would it look like?
• What is the best mechanism/forum to perform this type of assessment?
• Is there an association equivalent to “competitive advantage”? What are the
implications for associations?
• If we accept McGrath’s notion of “transient advantage” what are the implications for
associations?
• What kind of reaction would your volunteer leadership have in reading this book?
• What are the implications for staff and volunteer leaders?
• What considerations are there in the world of associations that really limit the
applicability of Rita’s strategy application?

4. Can
your
career
survive
the
transient
compe--ve
advantage
economy?
1. If my current employer let me go, it would be relatively easy to find a similar role in
another organization for equivalent compensation.
2. If I lost my job today, I am well prepared and know immediately what I will do next.
3. I’ve worked in some meaningful capacity (employment, consulting, volunteering, partnering)
with at least five different organizations within the last two years.
4. I’ve learned a meaningful new skill that I didn’t have before in the last two years, whether it
is work-related or not.
5. I’ve attended a course or training program within the last two years, either in person or
virtually.
6. I could name, off the top of my head, at least 10 people who would be good leads for new
opportunities.
7. I actively engage with at least two professional or personal networks.
8. I have enough resources (savings or other) that I could take the time to retrain, work for a
small salary, or volunteer in order to get access to a new opportunity.
9. I can make income from a variety of activities, not just my salary.
10. I am able to relocate or travel to find new opportunities.
Source: End of Competitive Advantage by Rita McGrath

5. Useful
Resources
• Effec-ve
Governance
h[p://cpa.tc/4ou
• Strategy
+
Business
-­‐
Career
Perspec-ve
h[p://cpa.tc/4ov
• Linked-­‐In
-­‐
How
to
Grow
&
Avoid
Disrup-on
h[p://cpa.tc/4ow
• Strategy
in
Vola-le
and
Uncertain
Environments
h[p://cpa.tc/4ox
• Forbes
-­‐
Managing
Our
Way
to
Prosperity
h[p://cpa.tc/4oy
• Google
Campus
Talks
–
End
of
Compe--ve
Advantage
h[p://cpa.tc/4oz
• Three
Things
You
Must
Do
to
Conquer
Complexity
h[p://cpa.tc/4p0
• Can’t
Afford
to
Grow?
You
Can’t
Afford
Not
To
-­‐
h[p://cpa.tc/40a
• Say
Goodbye
to
Your
Compe--ve
Advantage
h[p://cpa.tc/4p1
• Learn,
Then
Learn
Some
More,
It’s
The
Only
Way
You’ll
Survive
h[p://cpa.tc/2vj
• Don’t
Assume
Anything,
Prove
It
h[p://cpa.tc/4p2

8. Session
PowerPoint
Slides

9. Rita
McGrath
Photo:Tom Hood & Rita McGrath at BLIThought Leader Symposium in Baltimore, MD
“How
would
you
think
differently
about
your
strategy
if
you
knew
your
advantage
might
not
last?”

10. Are you at risk for disruption?

11. The Warning Signs
• I don’t buy my own company’s products or services
• We are investing at the same levels or even more and
not getting margins or growth in return
• Customers are finding cheaper or simpler solutions to be
“good enough”
• Competition is emerging from places we didn’t expect
• Customers are no longer excited with what we have to
offer
• We are not considered a top place to work by the
people we would like to hire
• Some of our very best people are leaving
• The growth trajectory has slowed or reversed
www.blionline.org/rita

12. So, the size of your enterprise, the scale, your access to capital–
all those things that gave you an edge to new entrants, no
longer exists. That’s all extremely scary because that means
that your job is no longer about managing the present but
inventing the future…all the time.”
- Nilofer Merchant
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/12/30/how-to-handle-digital-disruption-in-2014/
From Paraminder Bahra in WSJ: How to handle digital disruption in 2014

13. Now what: The New Strategy
Playbook
www.blionline.org/rita
• Continuous Reconfiguration
• Healthy Disengagement
• Deft Resource Allocation
• Innovation Proficiency
• Discovery Driven Mindset
• Entrepreneurial Career Management
The New Strategy Playbook

14. www.blionline.org/rita
Take the test and add up your score
Source: Rita McGrath,
End of Competitive
Advantage

15. www.blionline.org/rita
How do you measure up?
Score Band
Diagnosis
Action Implication
14-28
Danger! Extreme
exploitation orientation
Urgent issue for senior team;
major risk of being disrupted
19-42
Exploitation bias
At risk of being trapped; urgently
review business health
43-56
Most common; Pockets of
agility but fighting with
established businesses
Innovation and disengagement
need to be strengthened and
made systematic; senior team
needs to get involved
57-70
Moving faster, getting into a
rhythm
Support those working in new
way; focus on resource allocation
71+
Learning to compete with
transient advantage
Remain watchful! Rita wants to
meet you.

16. If there is a conversation about the future
of the profession, you're bound to hear
Hood's name mentioned as one of the
people leading the way.
– Accounting Today
Tom Hood, CPA, CITP, CGMA
" Named the Second Most Influential in Accounting
by Accounting Today Magazine 2013
" Top 150 Influencer by Linked-In
" Top 25 Influencers in Learning & HR by HR
Examiner
" Top 25 Public Accounting Thought Leaders by
CPA Practice Adviser
" Working on Learning Management with AICPA/
CPA2Biz, Cloud Curriculum, Performance
Management /XBRL, Leadership & Generations
CEO
Maryland Association of CPAs
(MACPA) www.macpa.org
Business Learning Institute
(BLI) www.blionline.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhood/