The Strategy Manual: A step-by-step guide to the transformational change of anything - Softcover

Baxter, Mike

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798687698931

Publisher: Independently published, 2020

Synopsis

Do you struggle with strategy? Are you unsure how to do it well? Mike Baxter, one of our leading authorities on strategic thinking, demystifies strategy and provides a step-by-step guide on making it robust, agile and fit-for-purpose. The Strategy Manual draws on Mike’s many years of expertise and thought leadership, delivering an accessible, practical handbook for anyone interested in the creation, management or governance of strategy. The book provides readers, at any level of experience and in any sector, with Mike’s valuable insights and innovative models and frameworks that help breathe life into strategy and embed it in the day-to-day actions of all those who will contribute to its ultimate success.

“All too often, strategy is over-complicated or under-utilised. In this book, Mike hits both challenges head on, making core tenets of strategy simple, but more importantly, actionable. As a seasoned practitioner, who’s worked with an enviable roster of clients, there’s no theory here - he’s making the mental models and methodologies that you’d normally expect from tier-one management consultancies available to everyone.” Jake Hird, VP Strategy (APAC), Merkle.

“It’s very readable, personable and I can hear Mike’s voice really well with all the years of experience and thoughtfulness loud and clear.” Gideon White, Director of Strategic Planning, University of East London.

About this title

About the Author

Mike Baxter has been awarded a PhD in Science, a personal Professorship and Chartered Designer status. He has enjoyed a variety of careers: trawlerman, animal welfare scientist, product designer, higher education college dean, web entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker, business thought-leader and company director. He has been a business consultant since 2001 for some of the world's biggest brands (e.g. Cisco, Google, HSBC, Lilly, Skype, Sony PlayStation) and a long-term advisor to some of London's fastest growing tech start-ups.

Mike is, therefore, in a great position to resolve the challenges surrounding strategy success.  As a scientist, he thinks from first principles and builds theories and models to turn principles into practicalities. As a designer, he can visualise and illustrate strategic models, making sense of them in terms of their component parts and how they inter-connect. As a psychologist, he understands cognitive biases, knows how to manage their influence and recognises that engagement and commitment from front-line teams are essential for strategic success. And finally, as an expert consultant, business advisor and company director, he is a hands-on strategist, able to turn principles into practice, ensuring the effectiveness and success of strategy in a wide range of circumstances.

Mike lives with his family in a houseboat on the River Thames in West London.

From the Back Cover

Strategy holds the promise of success. It steers you through the choppy waters of day-to-day business towards your desired goals. Strategy is about change; it opens up fresh possibilities and sets new horizons. For many of us, however, the path to developing and managing transformational change can seem far from straightforward.

Do you struggle with strategy? Are you unsure how to do it well? Have you concerns that the strategy you wrote may not be as good as it might have been? Do you fear it might not have the uptake and impact you hoped for?

You have good reason! Research suggests that half of all strategies fail to achieve their stated objectives. Strategy development falls prey to many known cognitive biases that steer us away from purely rational conclusions.

The Strategy Manual sets out to be a practical handbook for anyone interested in the creation, management or governance of strategy. It aims to demystify strategy and provide a step-by-step guide on how to do it well. It features many innovative models, frameworks and templates to help you make sense of the challenges of strategy and how to overcome them systematically and rigorously.

Mike Baxter is founder and Director of Goal Atlas Ltd, and has a background as a scientist, psychologist and designer. He is a renowned strategy expert, having spent over 20 years delivering independent front-line consultancy to some of the world's leading companies. The Strategy Manual draws on his many years of experience, expertise and thought leadership to deliver clear, visual models and frameworks to help you understand strategy and turn principles into practice.

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798687698931
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 443