Journal When good Go-To-Market strategies may not ben enough to succeed 2/3

 

When good Go-To-Market strategies may not ben enough to succeed 2/3

16 October 2013

This is my second post regarding why Go-To-Market strategies may not be effective enough if not coupled with good management techniques, as well as with a strong management team.

 

As usual, these are my personal thoughts, and do not reflect in any possible way my Company's view.

 

 

On the Net I have found some interesting concepts which may help us completing our considerations.

 

Actually, NATO defines doctrine as "Fundamental principles by which the military forces guide their actions in support of objectives. It is authoritative but requires judgment in application."

 

If strategy defines objectives, and plans prescribe behavior, then doctrine guides decisions.

 

Pushing decision-making closer to the ground sounds like the only possible solution under given circumstances. But how to ensure the human network made the right decisions?

 

The most advanced doctrine has four core elements:

• A robustly networked force improves information sharing;
• Information sharing enhances the quality of information and shared situational awareness;
• Shared situational awareness enables collaboration and self-synchronization, and enhances sustainability and speed of command; and
• These, in turn, dramatically increase mission effectiveness.

 

Such a doctrine may provide the many units spread around the battlefield with a shared framework in which they could operate. Units are free to move and take action within that framework. In turn, results get fed back to leaders, who may the evolve the doctrine to improve performance, enabling a true learning organization.

 

Here is what the literature say re. how you could apply doctrine to your company:

1. See where you might already have some elements of doctrine. Do you have principles that guide decision-making throughout the organization? Sometimes these are informal precepts that are passed along as part of the culture. Other times they get codified.

2. Identify areas conducive to doctrine-based approaches. It might be where the front line is calling for more authority, but where you are afraid to give up control. Or where centralized operations can't keep up with the amount of information or the variety of local conditions.

3. Involve your broader team in creating the doctrine. When the military rewrote its doctrine on counter-insurgency, it brought together a cross-functional team of soldiers, civilians, experts and leaders while gathering feedback from hundreds of front-line personnel. When IBM rewrote its values some ten years ago, it engaged thousands of employees around the world.

4. When developing doctrine, focus on principles not policies. Don't be too specific in telling people what to do, but also not so broad that it doesn't help them make the right decision. What information do you need from them, and what information do they need from you, in order to create rapid, independent, and effective action?

 

Ultimately, good doctrine becomes embedded in the culture. Good doctrine provides the empowerment, autonomy, and direction to make this not only possible, but effective. For business leaders operating in fast-moving and uncertain environments, doctrine may dispel the fog of business.

To be continued...

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