Based in facts of many real cases, the author tells the story of the journey of a CEO in his journey to transform his company using next-generation strategy and planning.

1. STRATEGY & PLANNING
IN A FAST-CHANGING WORLD
Carlos Henao

2. MEET JOHN:
THE SUCCESSFUL
CEO OF A MANUFACTURING
COMPANY

3. AT LEAST, UNTIL
THE PAST FEW
MONTHS…

4. PROFITS DETERIORATED
PRICES DECLINED
REVENUE CAME
EXCLUSIVELY
FROM OLD MARKETS AND
PRODUCTS
MEANWHILE,
COMPETITORS HAD
BETTER PRODUCTS,
PRICES, AND MARGINS

5. THE BOARD
APPROACHED JOHN,
CONCERNED WITH HIS
ABILITY TO HANDLE THIS
SITUATION

6. DURING A SLEEPLESS NIGHT,
JOHN REALIZED WHAT WAS WRONG
WITH THE COMPANY’S STRATEGY

7. THEY GOT FIXATED IN COMPETITORS
AND IN MAKING MONEY,
AND FORGOT WHO THEY WERE AND
HOW THEY CREATED UNIQUE,
SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO THEIR
CUSTOMERS

8. IT COULD BE SUMMARIZED AS
“EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY”
WITHOUT TRADE-OFFS,
TO KEEP OPTIONS OPEN

9. THE COMPANY WOULD
RUN AFTER EVERY OPORTUNITY,
EVEN IF DISJOINTED,
DILUTING ITS CAPABILITIES AND
LIMITING LEARNING

10. RESOURCES & BUDGET WERE
DISTRIBUTED EVENLY,
BASED SOLELY IN FINANCIAL METRICS,
NOT STRATEGICALLY,
ACROSS TOO MANY INITIATIVES

11. THE FOCUS WAS ON DOING THINGS
RIGHT IN THE SHORT TERM,
NOT ON DOING THE RIGHT THING,
ALSO FOR THE LONG RUN

12. JOHN ALSO REALIZED THAT THERE
WAS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN
FORMULATION & EXECUTION

13. HE NEEDED TO RETHINK
THE COMPANY’S STRATEGY
& PLANNING, AND THE
WAY TO DO IT, BUT HE DID
NOT LIKE IT, BECAUSE IT’S A
FAST-CHANGING WORLD

14. Bad strategy and planning Good strategy and planning
Strategy & no plan OR plan & no strategy Strategy, with a plan to make it true
Existing value, short term Focused on the present and the future, short and long term
Without clear choices or trade-offs Hard choices and trade-offs
Inward focused Inward and outward focused
Slow and inflexible Agile and dynamic
Full of data, with little direction Data to support direction
One-time project, closed-door Continuous process, participative (though not democratic)

15. ASPIRATIONS
COMPETITIVE
ARENAS
DIFFERENTIATORS
CAPABILITIES

16. THE COMPANY’S ASPIRATIONS:
KEY MOTIVATIONS & OBJECTIVES

17. THE COMPETITIVE ARENAS
INCLUDING CUSTOMER SEGMENTS, GEOGRAPHIES,
PRODUCT CATEGORIES, CHANNELS & VERTICAL
PRODUCTION STAGES

18. DIFFERENTIATORS
THE COMPANY’S
UNIQUE VALUE
PROPOSITION

19. AND CAPABILITIES
3-6 INDEPENDENT & REINFORCING
CAPABILITIES IN ORDER TO
CREATE UNIQUE VALUE

20. AFTER BRAINSTORMING
OVER THE COURSE OF
THE NIGHT, JOHN WAS
READY TO ACT AND DEFINED
HOW TO DO IT

21. HE INVOLVED THE BOARD
FROM THE BEGINNING, AS WELL AS A GROUP
OF PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS WHO
COULD CONTRIBUTE

22. HE MADE EVERYTHING ABOUT STRATEGY
PEOPLE
PROCESSES &
TECHNOLOGY
GOVERNANCE
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE

23. CONTEXT STRATEGY PLAN
IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN IN 3 STEPS

24. IT WAS HARD WORK & REQUIRED
DIFFICULT DECISIONS:
ESPECIALLY TRADE-OFFS

25. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT:
ALL ARE FOCUSED IN
CREATING UNIQUE VALUE TO
THEIR CUSTOMERS

26. HOW CAN YOU
START TO EFFECTIVELY
FORMULATE & PLAN
STRATEGY?
Carlos Henao: Managing Partner
E-mail: ch@caplica.com
Phone: 574-386-0999 - Mobile: 310-359-5905