Setting Your Organisation on a Trajectory to an Improved Future

Foreword

BY DON TAPSCOTT

Over the last few decades strategy has been in and out of fashion – for many businesses that followed the trends, mainly out. During the early 1990s, strategy was replaced by ‘reengineering’ – a term invented by the late Michael Hammer that turned out to mean rationalization of business processes and cost cutting. During the mid and late 1990s, strategy was replaced by a get-rich-quick mentality that ‘the internet changes everything’ (which is true) into the hope that ‘all things done on the internet will prove lucrative’ (which was rubbish). There were egregious excesses and spectacular market capitalizations based on absurd or non-existent business models.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered where your organization is headed? Have you ever asked yourself why some companies are more successful than others? Have you ever reflected on why once-great companies like Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), Lehman Brothers, Woolworths Group, Blockbuster, General Foods and Marconi no longer exist? Why companies like Xerox, Blackberry, Kodak, Royal Bank of Scotland and Yahoo are a shadow of their former selves, and others like Rolls-Royce, Hewlett-Packard, Anglo American, Standard Chartered Bank and Tesco are struggling to regain their once dominant position? And yet others, for example IBM, Apple, GE, Amazon, Walt Disney, BBVA, Jaguar Land Rover and Lenovo, continue to go from strength to strength.

"The authors’ praxis for exploring a default strategy is well argued and clearly presented, with a vital recognition of organisational realities."Michael Earl, Emeritus Professor of Information Management, University of Oxford

"A much-needed guide to all those concerned with strategic action."Professor Elena P. Antonacopoulou, GNOSIS, University of Liverpool Management School

About the authors

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David Trafford

Helps executives and leadership teams deliver successful change, specifically technology-enabled change. After starting his career as an engineer, and spending five years as a Research Fellow, he moved into consulting some 30 years ago, and over the years has advised and supported numerous organisations in developing strategies and delivering change. Most recently his focus has been on organisations that aim either to create a truly digital business, or to make their existing business more digitally enabled. David is a co-founder and Managing Director of Formicio, an advisory firm that provides thought leadership and thought partnership on all aspects of assessing, developing and operationalising strategy.


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Peter Boggis

Helps business executives gain the insights and capabilities needed to develop and operationalise strategy. Peter began his working career as a Chartered Accountant, before moving into management consulting in 1980 after relocating initially to Kenya and then South Africa. After returning to Europe in 1998, he led a series of major business reengineering programmes across a range of industries including financial services, manufacturing, mining, steel, chemicals and food, and other consumer products. Peter is a co-founder of Formicio, and is passionate about the power and role of language in helping organisations envisage a future beyond that of their default.


Reviews

Praise

"Beyond Default explores both organisational and individual level factors to build a holistic approach to change management in today’s volatile and unpredictable business environment."Michael Wade, Professor of Innovation and Strategy, IMD
"Many business books claim to change the reader’s perspective and offer a new way of looking at strategic management. However, few live up to their claim. Beyond Default offers a wonderful and welcome exception."Freek Vermeulen, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship London Business School
"This book is a thoughtful, carefully researched and well-written exploration of why some enterprises succeed over time, while others fail." Jim Champy, Co-Author of Reengineering the Corporation, A Manifesto for Business Revolution

Awards

Beyond Default was named:

  • finalist in the Business & Economics category in the 2017
  • finalist in the Leadership category in the 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards.
"The content and style of this book conjures more than a lifeboat of ideas and examples; they provide a lifeline of consideration into the future."Dr Peter Cochrane OBE, Consultant, Entrepreneur and Senior Manager
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