CSOsandbox: Corporate Strategy and Operations

Scant research has been undertaken into the role of the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), that is, the determination of what a CSO does. As specialists in strategy practice, the Strategic Management Institute (SMI), the research arm of Paul Hunter Strategy and Leadership has evolved a representation of the role. It is based on raw experience in the field, empirical research, and conclusions drawn from corporate strategy specific publications. Our derived description of the role is presented in this video, as is a response to the question: “How does the SMI’s definition of the role of the CSO compare with actual demand? To draw a comparison an analysis of CSO position descriptions drawn from LinkedIn advertisements in Australia, London, New York and San Francisco were reviewed and conclusions drawn. It will be a surprise for many to learn that one critical component of the CSO’s role is missing from formal job descriptions, even though its existence is vital to the long-term survival of many corporations. 
The video can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwW1QK_4P31MtXyYGmJOyUg

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

High potential executives (high pots) can be found in every corporation. Their presence, although generally overt is valued. So much so, they are feted with personal development opportunities that may ultimately include a sponsored stint at an international business school. While this is good for the individual, its overall value to the corporation is questionable. That is because individual learning is different to organisational learning, and it is the organisation that is required to wait. By making high pots strategy whisperers, i.e., awarding them a greater involvement in corporate strategy, the outcome will likely light the fuse of an organisational learning capability that will commence immediately and last for all time.
The video can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwW1QK_4P31MtXyYGmJOyUg

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

Driven by extreme uncertainty following the onset of Covid - 19, immediate change became an imperative for all CEOs. Their response was impressive, corporate leaders sprang into action. This begs the question though: If decision making is improved during a crisis, why isn’t it that good all the time? The answer lies in the circumstances of the problem being addressed. Influential factors are uncertainty, complexity, risk and reward. In this video we present a matrix that provides insight into alternative decision making methodologies, of which Muddling Through is one. The context of the discussion is organisational transformation and renewal.

Reference:

Lindblom, CE. 1959. The science of muddling through. Public Administration Review, 19(2): 79–88. https://doi.org/10.2307/973677

The video can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwW1QK_4P31MtXyYGmJOyUg

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

This podcast is the second in a series of two parts. In the first podcast we challenged traditional perceptions of strategic thinking. Firstly by proposing that a re-emergence of localised manufacturing can be brought about, without having to onshore the high volume commoditised production that is made overseas. Second is the means to do so, by thinking about the supply chain, as a supply system.

In this second podcast we look at the issues associated with building momentum in the transformation to a new era of industrialisation. To do this we explore the application of a system based, Integrated Value System to the global automotive parts manufacturer Robert Bosch GmbH and the Australian based family company, MTM controls. 

References referred to in podcast

 1. Waters., C., Tomcar: Australia's last car maker , Sydney Morning Herald, June 6, 2017,  https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/tomcar-australias-last-car-maker-20170605-gwkh25.html Accessed 22 Jun, 2022

2. Macdonald, A., Thompson, S., Sood, K, Incitec pivots to end explosives, fertilisers dream; UBS, Mac on board May 23, 2022, https://www.afr.com/street-talk/incitec-pivots-to-end-explosives-fertilisers-dream-20220523-p5anoeAccessed 2 Jul, 2022

3. Incitec Pivot Web Site, About Us: https://www.incitecpivot.com.au/about-us/our-businesses Accessed 23 Jun, 2022

4. Hunter, P., Corporate Strategy (Remastered) II: A Fieldbook, Implementing High Performance Strategy and Leadership, Routledge, Oxford, UK, 2020

5. Strategic Management Institute Web Site, Blogs https://www.smiknowledge.com/post/inventing-the-2040-corporation-evolving-the-corporation-as-a-corporate-collaborative-system

6. Robert Bosch GmbH Annual report, "Annual Report 2021" (PDF) (Press release), Accessed 29 Jun, 2022 

7. MTM Automotive Web Site: https://www.mtmauto.com/Accessed 29 Jun, 2022 

8. Prahalad, C.K., & Hamel, G., The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, 68(3), 79–91, 1990

This podcast is published by the management consulting firm, Paul Hunter Strategy and Leadership (www.phsandl.com). Associate web sites are PHSandL's research group, the Strategic Management Institute (www.smiknowledge.com) and the strategy simulation tool that can be accessed at CSOsandbox (www.csosandbox.com).

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

Often resistant to change, corporations and governments too, must accept the fact that in the longer term, new forms of organisational structuring, and methods of manufacturing will evolve. Similarly, it is likely that onshoring, the idea of bringing back outsourced production capabilities is not an option, or is it? Inevitably decision makers view the process of problem resolution as one of black or white, either you can, or you can't.  What if there is a middle ground? That though is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of future options and pathways that manufacturers must adopt today, in order to effectively compete into future. As PHSANDL has discovered, there certainly are new challenges, and many new opportunities ahead for manufacturers of every pedigree and every type. In this Podcast, a middle road is explored, within the context of PHSANDL's notion of Third Wave Strategy. As demonstrated in the CSOsandbox too, the evaluation of the middle ground is conducted via an analysis of a Strategic Architecture, Green Shoot Strategy, and, as explored further in Part 2, Corporate Collaborative Systems, and the concept of an Integrated Value System. Case studies used to illustrate the discussions are Tomcar, Incitec Pivot, Robert Bosch Australia, MTM Controls and  SafetyCulture.

This podcast is presented in two parts. In the first podcast we challenge traditional perceptions of strategic thinking. First by proposing that a re-emergence of localised manufacturing can be brought about, without having to onshore the high volume commoditised production that is made overseas. Second is the means to do so, by thinking about the supply chain, as a supply system. This idea is discussed in the context of Incitec Pivot, through their proposal to split the company into two, 

In the second podcast we look at the issues associated with building momentum in the transformation to a new era of industrialisation. To do this we explore the application of Corporate Collaborative Systems and Integrated Value Systems to global automotive parts manufacturer, Robert Bosch GmbH and the Australian based family company, MTM controls.

References referred to in podcast

 1. Waters., C., Tomcar: Australia's last car maker , Sydney Morning Herald, June 6, 2017,  https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/tomcar-australias-last-car-maker-20170605-gwkh25.html Accessed 22 Jun, 2022

2. Macdonald, A., Thompson, S., Sood, K, Incitec pivots to end explosives, fertilisers dream; UBS, Mac on board May 23, 2022, https://www.afr.com/street-talk/incitec-pivots-to-end-explosives-fertilisers-dream-20220523-p5anoeAccessed 2 Jul, 2022

3. Incitec Pivot Web Site, About Us: https://www.incitecpivot.com.au/about-us/our-businesses Accessed 23 Jun, 2022

4. Hunter, P., Corporate Strategy (Remastered) II: A Fieldbook, Implementing High Performance Strategy and Leadership, Routledge, Oxford, UK, 2020

5. Strategic Management Institute Web Site, Blogs https://www.smiknowledge.com/post/inventing-the-2040-corporation-evolving-the-corporation-as-a-corporate-collaborative-system

6. Robert Bosch GmbH Annual report, "Annual Report 2021" (PDF) (Press release), Accessed 29 Jun, 2022 

7. MTM Automotive Web Site: https://www.mtmauto.com/Accessed 29 Jun, 2022 

8. Prahalad, C.K., & Hamel, G., The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, 68(3), 79–91, 1990

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

Scant research has been undertaken into the role of the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), that is, the determination of what a CSO does. As specialists in strategy practice, the Strategic Management Institute (SMI), the research arm of Paul Hunter Strategy and Leadership has evolved a representation of the role. It is based on raw experience in the field, empirical research, and conclusions drawn from corporate strategy specific publications. Our derived description of the role is presented in this video, as is a response to the question: “How does the SMI’s definition of the role of the CSO compare with actual demand? To draw a comparison an analysis of CSO position descriptions drawn from LinkedIn advertisements in Australia, London, New York and San Francisco were reviewed and conclusions drawn. It will be a surprise for many to learn that one critical component of the CSO’s role is missing from formal job descriptions, even though its existence is vital to the long-term survival of many corporations.

A written version of this podcast is available to CSOsanbox subscribers. Submissions can be made at our web site website: www.CSOsandbox.com. References applicable to parts of this video are as follows:

References

1. Hunter, P., Corporate Strategy (Remastered) II: A Fieldbook, Implementing High Performance Strategy and Leadership, Routledge, Oxford, UK, 2020

2. Hunter, P., Corporate Strategy (Remastered) I: High Performance Strategy and Leadership in a Volatile, Disrupted World, Routledge, Oxford, UK, 2020

3. Ansoff, H.I. (1965), Corporate Strategy, New York: McGraw-Hill 

4. Pfeifer, S., The Financial Times, London, UK 21 May 2023. Accessed 25 may, 2023 https://www.ft.com/content/3436ab7e-728f-4ca0-9cde-d51ab2c4b90e 

5. BHP, Our Strategy https://www.bhp.com/about/strategy, Accessed 15 May 2023

6. Rademakers, M., Corporate Universities as Drivers of Organizational Learning, Routledge, Oxford, UK, 2014.

7. Allen, L., “Chocolate Fortunes; the Battle for the Hearts and Minds, and Wallets of China’s Consumers”, AMACOM, 2010

8. Mars Edge, https://www.mars.com/our-brands/edge, Accessed 25 May 2023

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

High potential executives (high pots) can be found in every corporation. Their presence, although generally overt is valued. So much so, they are feted with personal development opportunities that may ultimately include a sponsored stint at an international business school. While this is good for the individual, its overall value to the corporation is questionable. That is because individual learning is different to organisational learning, and it is the organisation that is required to wait. By making high pots strategy whisperers, i.e., awarding them a greater involvement in corporate strategy, the outcome will likely light the fuse of an organisational learning capability that will commence immediately and last for all time. 

This is a summarised version of the White Paper, and an extended version of the video that can be found at https://www.csosandbox.com/post/evolving-the-future-corporation-from-within-enter-the-strategy-whisperers-a-discussion. This is right next to the Podcast Channel page at https://www.csosandbox.com/podcast.

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.

CSOsandox podcast hosts, Paul Hunter and Stuart Orr explore concepts introduced in the video on the CSOsandbox YouTube channel: "Enter the Strategy Whisperers: Evolving the future corporation from within". The thrust of the conversation is generated from the idea that high potential executives (high pots), those most likely to be nominated for fast track management development programs, could be assigned strategically important roles in the business. This will give them the benefit of experiencing the complexity of running a corporation first hand. In turn, whisperers are in a position to give back to the organisation. This is done by sharing the knowledge and skills they have acquired with others in the organisation. A White paper styled blog that describes how the role should work, along with other mechanisms - such as a Community of Strategy Practice (COSP) and the practice of Open Strategy - can be found on the CSOsandbox website (www,csosandbox/blog.com).  

CSOsandbox is a podcast for chief strategy officers, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and senior executives on how organisations build the intelligence and judgement to make better strategic decisions.

PHSANDL Podcast page: https://www.phsandl.com/listen

Each episode examines how strategy is actually made and remade in practice: reading market and competitive signals, testing assumptions, thinking seriously about the future without pretending to predict it, and turning analysis into commitments people can act on. Recurring themes include strategy execution, strategic planning, scenario thinking, decision rights, operating-model design, organisational learning and the use of AI in strategic analysis.

The focus is practical rather than theoretical: better strategic conversations, stronger judgement, clearer commitments, and the capacity to renew before circumstances force it.

Hosted by Dr Peter Hunter — author of The Seven Inconvenient Truths of Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Remastered), Volumes 1 and 2 (Routledge), co-author of The Corporation of the Future, former PwC partner, and founder of PH Strategy and Leadership.

For executives working where strategic outlook meets operating reality.