Issues and Articles
Strategy, Strategic Factors and Stakeholders
Strategic Factors: Develop a Winning Strategy in Leadership Excellence.
This article by Graham Kenny tells the story of how we developed the Strategic Factor System and demonstrates, in a succinct way, how to bring stakeholders into management's thinking to produce better strategies.
In this presentation Graham Kenny explains how we developed the Strategic Factor System. He also reviews the future of Strategic Management as a discipline. "I believe that we need a fresh start in Strategic Management. I'd argue that the 'field' of Strategic Management has never really been established. What we have is 'business strategy management', as most of the developed tools and techniques are specific to business organisations. A 'field' of Strategic Management must address the needs of government and not-for-profit organisations as well.
Understanding Strategy
Strategy Burnout in Management - the official magazine of the New Zealand Institute of Management.
'Strategy is becoming overused, misused and misunderstood' says Graham Kenny. In this article he describes what strategy really is and how a full understanding helps identify genuine strategic opportunities.(88KB)
Graham Kenny takes a fresh look at strategy - required if organisations are to achieve genuine competitive advantage. (34KB)
As guest columnist, Graham Kenny discusses the 'strategy crisis' driven by an absence of any real understanding by managers of what strategy is. This is preventing organisations from achieving their competitive potential. (20KB)
Qantas Talking Business interviews Graham Kenny.
Peter Switzer, the host of Talking Business, interviewed Graham about strategy, its meaning and use. The results were broadcast to Qantas passengers via Qantas in-flight entertainment. (Read a transcript of this interview) (30KB)
In his review, Reg Birchfield writes "He's right of course. It is easier to focus on the home front and it's tempting to bow to internal pressure and deploy the latest gadgetry rather than keep managerial eyes firmly fixed on the wants and needs of customers, suppliers, owners and other stakeholders." (42KB)
Everyone claims to have a competitive advantage in the marketplace but, as Graham Kenny explains, the obvious answers to what drives competitive advantage isn't always correct. (87KB)
Performance Measurement
In this article Graham Kenny makes clear that organisations can create a better system for measuring and monitoring performance than the Balanced Scorecard approach. All it takes is a focus on an organisation's or business unit's key stakeholders and six steps. They produce a Focused Scorecard - not a balanced one. He also calls on accountants to lead the necessary change. (159KB)
Strategy Scorecard: Stay Focused on the Right Things in Leadership Excellence.
In this article Graham Kenny provides a concise description of the features of our scorecard for measuring performance. It also outlines five basic steps to follow in producing key performance indicators that are outcome-focused and strategy-driven.
This article is based on an excerpt from Graham Kenny's book Strategic Planning and Performance Management. It shows how the conventional approach to selecting performance metrics can be haphazard. It also illustrates how to adopt a more effective method for developing key performance indicators (KPIs).
A New Perspective in HR Monthly - the official journal of the Australian Human Resources Institute.
In this article, which also appeared in Management below, Graham Kenny analyses the failings of the Balanced Scorecard with its purely arbitrary four measurement categories. These lead to ineffective measurement. The article outlines a new perspective that has organisations developing outcome-focused key performance indicators that are effective. (79KB)
This article also appeared in HR Monthly above. In it Graham Kenny analyses the failings of the Balanced Scorecard with its purely arbitrary four measurement categories. These lead to ineffective measurement. The article outlines a new perspective for developing outcome-focused key performance indicators that are effective. (139KB)
Diversification
Graham Kenny outlines what he has learnt about how successful diversifiers operate, based on researching for and writing his book Diversification Blueprint.
"When a business fails it is sometimes easy to claim that a company was 'too diversified'. One management expert [Graham Kenny], however, argues that this explanation can disguise a multitude of management sins". The article explains why diversification remains a viable growth option for organisations.
How well does Warren Buffett really do with Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder funds? Graham Kenny answers this question, investigated as part of his research conducted for his book Diversification Blueprint.
Strategy and Directors' Liability
The rules under which directors can be legally liable are changing all the time. As Graham Kenny explains, directors may soon be held to account for failed corporate strategies.(This article also appeared in Management below.) (26Kb)
Graham Kenny explains the fundamental importance of having a strategic plan that is best practice and fully implemented. If not, company directors may be held legally liable for consequent losses, including losses from missed opportunities. He provides guidelines for directors to follow.(This article also appeared in Company Director above.) (88KB)
Pricing
Commodity-Price Trap in Commodities & Trade to Asia.
Having problems getting a good price for your products overseas? Maybe they're seen as commodities says Graham Kenny. This article (previously published in Marketing) has been republished with a focus on Australian export commodities by Commodities & Trade to Asia (large pdf file - 229KB).
Commodity-Price Trap in Marketing
"I’m often asked by clients, in such industries as electricity, food, concrete mixers, reinforcing steel and professional services, how to get a decent price for their products and services", says Graham Kenny. Maybe they're seen as commodities, he says. The article describes how this can happen in almost any industry and provides 12 suggestions for avoiding the commodity-price trap. (186 KB)
Business Growth
Growing a business becomes taken for granted, especially in public companies. It can serve so many interests. But is it right for every business? Graham Kenny investigates. (This article also appears in Management below.) (54KB)
To grow or not to grow your business, that is the question. Is it smarter to drive additional profitability through rapid expansion or slower but more assured organic growth? Graham Kenny considers the options. (This article also appears in Charter above.) (109KB)