" Where are you likely to find people with the least diversity of experience, the largest investment in the past, and the greatest reverence for industry dogma?At the top!” ……….Gary Hamel

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Bottleneck at the top of the bottle http://www.flickr.com/photos/noelii/2534048747/

Thomas Watson proclaimed in 1943 that there is a world market for 5 computers

Bill Gates commented that 640 Kbyte should be enough memory for everyone http://www.flickr.com/photos/43225918@N00/2244447400/

fiercest stumbling blocks to effective transformation are at the top.

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Strategy has very little Strategy has very little chance to get executed, if chance to get executed, if the top management the top management refuses to champion or refuses to champion or sponsor the cause sponsor the cause

An Energy Major into Real EstateAn Energy Major into Real EstateConsider a case of a large scale real estate development for an Consider a case of a large scale real estate development for an Indian energy major, where the Indian energy major, where the top boss commented that the top boss commented that the architectural design is architectural design is bold & perhaps will not be easily bold & perhaps will not be easily acceptable to Indian consumersacceptable to Indian consumers. . http://www.flickr.com/photos/wang_qian_021386/2603959895/

Subsequent focus groups revealed that the Subsequent focus groups revealed that the consumers loved the design & consumers loved the design & craved for a world class luxury developmentcraved for a world class luxury development in their backyards. in their backyards.

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Senior managers Senior managers (executing the project), (executing the project), kept emphasizing that kept emphasizing that the development plan the development plan needs to be altered needs to be altered without giving any without giving any logical reasonslogical reasons , just so , just so that they remain on the that they remain on the right side of the top right side of the top boss.boss.

They They refuted all refuted all consumer data & consumer data & researchresearch and relied only and relied only on the focus group of on the focus group of one- the top boss. one- the top boss.

As for the development As for the development expertise of the top expertise of the top boss, well he may have boss, well he may have built a bungalow or two built a bungalow or two for himself.for himself.

The critical first step in The critical first step in transformation is transformation is

to to generate buy-in from generate buy-in from the top bossthe top boss & his senior & his senior managersmanagers

spend considerable time spend considerable time to to seek inputs & seek inputs & encourage involvementencourage involvement from the top from the top managementmanagement

top management needs top management needs to be given to be given specific roles specific roles to steer the programmeto steer the programme to its logical conclusionto its logical conclusion

enlisting them as enlisting them as championschampions

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Change is an imperative, not a 'good to have'. The top guy has to Change is an imperative, not a 'good to have'. The top guy has to recognize that.recognize that.

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Top managers need to own the change, the need to run to stay at Top managers need to own the change, the need to run to stay at the same placethe same place http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootbearwdc/14130889/

As Anita Roddick of the highly As Anita Roddick of the highly innovative Body Shop, said, innovative Body Shop, said, "I watch where the cosmetics "I watch where the cosmetics industry is going and then industry is going and then walk in the opposite walk in the opposite direction."direction."

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For more on strategy execution by Sarvajeet Chandra http://strategy-execution.blogspot.com

http://www.mastersungroup.com