Attention, please.
The word "strategy" gets tossed around a lot. This is not entirely a bad thing for leaders who want to see strategy reflected in everyday doings. In fact, they should leverage it. Include everyone and coax their assertions, even the blarney, into specificity. Instead of checking the strategic plan box with a bit of fluff that sits on a shelf for three years, articulate all the elements that comprise strategy: the landscape, a compelling vision, objectives that address market and product realities, desired results of actual projects, performance indicators. When the room starts to clear, bar the door. Make them stay. Invite everyone to experience the real purpose of strategy, designing hard-to-ignore calls to action, chasing hard-to-beat results. A solid strategic plan takes the amorphous and makes it tangible, creating a mechanism for sustained attention, focused effort, and measurable collaboration.
A Successful Hunt. Henry François Farny. 1906. Gouache, watercolor, gum Arabic glazes, charcoal on white wove paper mounted on board. Marguerite and Frank A. Cosgrove Jr. Fund, 2015. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The real stakes of the war for your attention
Chris Hayes to Sean Illing: I think that we’re in a position now, as more and more of the world moves from industrial modes of production to post-industrial modes of production, that the one thing that’s left that’s scarce, that’s finite, that’s the most valuable, is our attention.
How brands help business solve problems
Walker Smith: Business stands apart as intrinsically forward-looking and aspirational. All too often, politics gets stuck in the mud of retrenchment, reversals, slurs and slights. Many religious sects are more about iniquity and negation than uplift and exultation. There is plenty of elation to be found in sports and entertainment, but no shortage of dark shadows either. Looking up can be found in every arena, but only for business is it the very keystone of engagement and success.
Morale: Marshall's secret weapon
Molly Guptill Manning: After Marshall graduated from VMI and was awarded a commission, he was sent to a remote post in the Philippines where he was the only officer and his men were forced to perform grueling tasks that prompted bitter complaints. Though Marshall maintained order and discipline, he did not ignore their gripes. He believed that if their discontent festered, he could have a mutiny on his hands. Though it was rather un-army-like, Marshall ordered supplies to boost their spirits: checkers, playing cards, books, magazines, and games. When boxes of recreational items arrived, the men were visibly moved. By recognizing their hard work and the tough jobs they performed, Marshall earned their esteem and respect. From that point forward, troops willingly performed back-breaking, dirty, menial tasks for Marshall because they knew their commanding officer valued them.