What is strategic realignment, and how should we think about its practical implementation?

In the sixth episode of The Fit for Business Podcast, Professor Jonathan Trevor is joined by Philippe Clarinval, an accomplished hospitality expert, executive adviser, and trainer, renowned for his transformational leadership in the luxury industry. Philippe boasts a proven track record of realigning and revitalising some of the world's most prestigious hotels, including the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel, the Carlton Hotel in St. Moritz, and the iconic Omnia Mountain Lodge in Zermatt.

Jonathan first lays out a compelling “3Ps framework” (Principles, Policies, Practice) to help leaders better consider the practical application of strategic alignment in their own organisations, before delving into what the most up-to-date research reveals about the current state of alignment on the front line of business. Following this, Philippe shares his unique perspective on strategic realignment as an experienced practitioner "at the coalface", explaining how it can, and should, become a powerful lens through which all business operations are viewed.

Jonathan and Philippe then explore some of the key implications of misalignment before offering their top recommendations for leaders aiming to better align their organisations.

The podcast underscores that achieving strategic alignment is a significant challenge, yet it is absolutely crucial for organisational success and resilience in today's complex business landscape. It's presented as a continuous quest for coherence that demands intentionality, courageous leadership, and a deep understanding of an organisation's core purpose, effectively translated from high-level principles to daily practice.

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What is complexity in business, and why does it matter, especially in a business fitness context?

Why are organisations becoming more complex, and what are the implications of being overwhelmed by business complexity?

In this episode, Jonathan unpacks the meaning of complexity and its implications for business alignment. He discusses how increasingly complex external forces and internal pressures are leading organisations themselves to become more intricate.

Jonathan explains that when managed poorly, complexity is one of the biggest organisational alignment killers. However, he goes on to state that if managed properly and utilised effectively, complexity can actually become a vital competitive advantage for organisations.

Finally, Jonathan covers how leaders can respond practically to the challenge of complexity, managing it effectively and ultimately achieving organisational alignment.

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Why is strategic alignment so important? Will it become even more critical in the age of rapid AI transformation?

In this Fit for Business Podcast episode, Professor Jonathan Trevor is joined by Tanu Gupta, the Head of AI Transformation for Google Cloud EMEA. Tanu partners with large enterprises to help them navigate their AI adoption journeys. She is a technologist specialising in the intersection of technology and human behaviour, with expertise in computer science, human and organisational psychology, business innovation, and organisational culture.

In this episode, Jonathan unpacks what is meant by strategic alignment and business transformation, and whether it becomes even more critical in the face of rapid AI development. Following this, Tanu discusses the key leadership challenges that businesses face when trying to implement AI solutions across organisations, and how this technology will impact our day-to-day work. Jonathan and Tanu explore how leaders can approach AI transformation in their organisations and whether AI transformation is distinct from people or cultural transformation.

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What is business transformation and how do we achieve it? And what does it mean to 'train' our business's realignment muscles?

In this episode of the Fit for Business Podcast, Professor Jonathan Trevor is joined by Bidjan Nashat. Bidjan is the co-founder of PotentialU, former CEO of Atlas Corps and lecturer at the Smith Business School, University of Maryland. Bidjan is also a former member of the executive team of the international charity Save the Children and joins us in this episode to share just how he led a wholesale transformation process at the organisation.

Jonathan unpacks what we mean by transformation and realignment, before Bidjan shares just how he implemented some of Jonathan's work at Save the Children in his successful attempt to bring about organisational realignment. What factors were critical to his success? What challenges did he face? How would he approach the process in a new organisation? Jonathan and Bidjan unpack it all in this episode of the Fit for Business Podcast.

Bidjan's Case Study - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-align-jonathan-trevor-helped-me-lead-save-children-bidjan-nashat-1r4se/

Bidjan Nashat

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What is strategic distinctiveness and why does it matter in business? Why do so many organisations lack strategic distinctiveness? How can organisations become distinctive?

In episode two of the Fit For Business Podcast, Professor Jonathan Trevor explores the concept of distinctiveness. Jonathan unpacks how, in the face of unmitigated uncertainty, leaders are not committing to a particular path. Organisations are trying to be a jack of all trades and the master of none, resulting in a lack of distinctiveness. Jonathan argues that true distinctiveness starts with an organisation’s ability to align behind a common purpose, allowing for a better identification of threats and rapid realignment to combat them. 

Professor Jonathan Trevor is an award-winning Oxford academic and author who draws on insights and frameworks from his research to help leaders ask better questions and improve business fitness. Drawing on his academic research and work with organisations throughout the world, he acts as a troubleshooter and performance coach to organisations that want to be better aligned, more efficient and more competitive.

www.jonathantrevor.com

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What does it mean to be fit for purpose? Why are organisations still unfit and what are the implications? What can leaders do to increase their organisation's fitness? Do we need a 'fitness instructor'?

In Episode 1 of the Fit For Business Podcast, Professor Jonathan Trevor unpacks the concept of Fitness. Exploring what it means to be fit for purpose and why it is intrinsically linked to business success, Jonathan unpacks the implications of being unfit for businesses (so often felt by customers and end-users) and how business leaders can tackle the problem and increase their organisation's fitness.

www.jonathantrevor.com

Professor Jonathan Trevor is an award-winning Oxford academic and author who draws on insights and frameworks from his research to help leaders ask better questions and improve business fitness. Drawing on his academic research and work with organisations throughout the world, he acts as a troubleshooter and performance coach to organisations that want to be better aligned, more efficient and more competitive.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fit for Business Podcast delves into the question of why some firms perform better than others.

Drawing on academic ideas and the first-hand experience of leaders in a variety of sectors, it examines what makes businesses fit for purpose and how leaders can improve the fitness of their own organisations. It lifts the curtain to reveal the secrets of fit companies and what makes them special while sharing ideas about how to address the problems of strategic couch potatoes.

Professor Jonathan Trevor is an award-winning Oxford academic and author who uses insights and frameworks from his research to help leaders ask better questions and improve business fitness. Drawing on his academic research and work with organisations worldwide, he acts as a troubleshooter and performance coach to organisations that want to be better aligned, more efficient, and more competitive.

www.jonathantrevor.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.