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www.forwardthinkinginc.com newsletter | latest edition | october 2010

The second edition of the forward thinking inc newsletter finds the consultancy very busy working on a fascinating range of projects in markets across the world including Turkey, Holland, Singapore and Hong Kong. One of the most satisfying aspects of our development over the last 3 years has been the increasingly International nature of our projects. Our work mix has evolved too. The pure corporate strategy work which has been at the core of forward thinking inc since our beginnings in 1999 today accounts for around 70% of our work, with projects in strategy execution - primarily programmes to develop the intangible asset base - accounting for the balance. Within the execution area, workplace strategy projects continue to be a focus with forward thinking inc's reputation growing in this space through our involvement with The Workplace Intelligence Unit. I hope you find our newsletter of interest and would as ever welcome any feedback. Chris Woolston (MD)

testimonials Want to hear what people say about us? Please click here subscribe Want to hear more? Please visit our site and subscribe contact Have something you want to share? Please click here to email us A joint venture between forward thinking inc and Herman Miller forward thinking inc indigo house holbrooke place richmond surrey TW10 6UD t: +44(0) 208 939 2330 f: +44(0) 208 939 2331 The value of values Every company has a set of values - very often to be found adorning the walls of meeting rooms. The magic number seems to be 6-8 although, from conversations as part of our consulting work, par for the course would be for an employee to remember 3 of them! One thing which strikes us is that these lists of values bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, yet it is 'distinctiveness' which is the key driver of long term value. For us, a valuable set of values should have a very distinctive flavour, reflecting the idiosyncratic nature and aspirations of the firm. In fact, they would better be termed 'branded behaviours', and relate closely to the firm's unique positioning. The most powerful communicators of positioning for a company are the behaviours of its people. Yet very often company values programmes are run by the HR team in splendid isolation from the activities of the marketing team. Is your company different? The tipping point Over the years we have worked with many companies to help them to develop their strategic plans. Here are our top 10 tips for successful strategy development: Don't start with the numbers, start with the thinking Start the ball rolling by thinking about what you can do better than anyone else. This is your point of difference. Surprisingly most businesses are not clear about it Then agree with your fellow Directors what you want the business to look like in five years time. Paint a crisp, precise picture of how it will look and feel Align everything in the organisation to deliver consistently on your point of difference in pursuit of your goal. Plan for it. This is your strategic plan Explain your plan very simply and directly to everyone inside the company Help them to understand their role in making it happen. Get them excited about it Work out ten things you need to do as an Executive team to deliver the strategy. Turn them into projects and make one Director responsible for each Check progress against each project regularly and discuss any issues as a team, if they arise Demonstrate an intolerance of anyone on the team who doesn't deliver on their commitments - notwithstanding the day to day pressures of the business Don't give up until the job is done