Managers should think carefully about which strategy will give their company a competitive advantage. Also, perpetually ask, "Is this competitive advantage sustainable?" A five-year study of management practices in hundreds of businesses, referred to as the "Evergreen Project," found that a clear strategic direction was a key factor that distinguished winners from losers. So how can we strategically create a sustained competitive advantage and galvanize execution amongst our team?

Why is it essential to have a desired future circumstance or condition for our organization? Could our team and organization exist for a specific purpose? Yes! and goals define and state that purpose. Then what? How about a plan or a blueprint to achieve those goals? Plans help detail the necessary resources, schedules & tasks for action. The goals have the purpose and future in mind, and the plan specifies today’s means to achieve that desired future. As leaders and managers, we must incorporate both ideas—determining the organization’s goals and defining the standards for achieving them.

Isolation from international forces is no longer possible, and every organization should think globally because the world is a source of business threats and opportunities. Even if someone spends their entire career working in their hometowns, they must be aware of the international environment and will probably interact with people from other cultures. How can we prepare and capitalize on a borderless world? What are some cultural differences, and why are they necessary to understand? Are countries, businesses, and people becoming increasingly interdependent?

What are the task and general environments, and why should organizational leaders care? How are managers shaping the internal culture to fit the needs of the external environment and company strategy? Corporate culture is critical in gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage. As managers, we must familiarize ourselves with these elements and change them when possible.

As organizational leaders, we must understand capital allocation and how it relates to operational effectiveness. This episode includes creative techniques to utilize resources, manage people and set up processes. We learn to capture data, make decisions and act like an entrepreneurial operations leader.

It is important to understand change and how it affects people. Human Systems Dynamics (HSD) helps us turn judgment into curiosity and disagreement into shared exploration. We learn about the emerging field of theory and practice while speaking to Royce Holladay, MEd who is the Director of Services at the HSD Institute.

Marketing is communication. Impactful communication uses stories. Listen in as we explain the origin of Guerrilla tactics and highlight marketing strategies for small businesses through practical examples.

The “industry” refers to the group located within a larger landscape. Examples include the “computer hardware wholesale industry,” the “card and gift retail industry,” and the “architectural services industry.” The focus here is on what is happening in, and the relative attractiveness of, the industry as a whole. You are looking at the entire industry in the U.S. or globally. Do your research, as you would the neighborhood a prospective future home for your family is located, and look for opportunities before entering. We recommend IBISWorld Industry Reports.

This is a teaching for an introductory business class. The basic level content quickly covers preparing and using financial statements, evaluating operating and financial performance, and managing cash flow.

How can some teams take customer engagement to another level while others fail miserably? Listen as we explore relevant truths for all customer-facing organizations.