| | |  | New Business | Home » » The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment | | | | | | | Description: | | In today's business environment, strategy has never been more important. Yet research shows that most companies fail to execute strategy successfully. Behind this abysmal track record lies an undeniable fact: many companies continue to use management processes-top-down, financially driven, and tactical-that were designed to run yesterday's organizations. Now, the creators of the revolutionary performance management tool called the Balanced Scorecard introduce a new approach that makes strategy a continuous process owned not just by top management, but by everyone. In The Strategy-Focused Organization, Robert Kaplan and David Norton share the results of ten years of learning and research into more than 200 companies that have implemented the Balanced Scorecard. Drawing from more than twenty in-depth case studies-including Mobil, CIGNA, Nova Scotia Power, and AT&T Canada-Kaplan and Norton illustrate how Balanced Scorecard adopters have taken their groundbreaking tool to the next level. These organizations have used the scorecard to create an entirely new performance management framework that puts strategy at the center of key management processes and systems. Kaplan and Norton articulate the five key principles required for building Strategy-Focused Organizations: (1) translate the strategy to operational terms, (2) align the organization to the strategy, (3) make strategy everyone's everyday job, (4) make strategy a continual process, and (5) mobilize change through strong, effective leadership. The authors provide a detailed account of how a range of organizations in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors have deployed these principles to achieve breakthrough, sustainable performance improvements. Presenting a practical, proven framework steeped in rich case study experience, The Strategy-Focused Organization helps solve a universal management problem-not just how to formulate strategy, but how to make it work. Building on one of the most revolutionary business ideas of our time, this important book shows how today's leaders can shape their own companies to meet the challenges and reap the rewards of a new competitive era. Robert S. Kaplan is the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. David P. Norton is President of Balanced Scorecard Collaborative, Inc. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Robert S. Kaplan | | Hardcover:
| 416 pages | | Publisher:
| Harvard Business Press | | Publication Date:
| 2000-09 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1578512506 | | Package Length:
| 9.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.2 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.3 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 26 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Great - Internacional purchaseJul 13, 2010
Fine, I received my order correctly, exactly at the stipulated time limit. It was my first purchase on Amazon and liked.
 Converting strategy into operational termsMar 09, 2010
Kaplan's and Norton's first book "The Balanced Scorecard" was an epic which permanently changed our business culture. The Strategy Focused Organization is more practical and visual, providing many illustrations of how organizations can leverage "strategy maps" to clearly articulate the strategy. As one would expect from Kaplan and Norton, the book is well thought out and thoroughly researched, providing insight on how to execute scorecards.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great book!Nov 22, 2008
Great book! Excellent examples of different companies. It seems a little lengthy at times, but with many jewels of information throughout the book. I bought this after checking it out from the library; I want to keep it as a reference as I implement the scorecard at work.
The Changing Strategy LandscapeSep 16, 2008
In today's business landscape, it has never been more
important to implement solid strategies -- the unique
and sustainable ways by which organizations create
value. Yet, research reveals that companies have an
increasingly difficult time executing the strategies they
need to remain competitive. One reason for this is clearly
that while these strategies, and the business issues behind
them, are changing constantly, the tools for measuring
the effectiveness of these strategies have not kept pace.
The Most Important Work on StrategyNov 25, 2007
Strategy is a largely misunderstood, mis-directed and inscrutable part of business. Its failings in general come from a few basic misunderstandings about what strategy is as contrasted with tactics, and from the dearth of a way to articulate what may be intuitive for a visionary leader. Norton and Kaplan put forth a method for conceiving, articulating, sharing and measuring strategy that is elegant, simple, translatable and executable. Its basic foundation, a visual representation of the cause and effect relationships necessary to generate strategic goals is breathtaking in its simplicity and brilliance. I have yet to find a more important or transparent approach to the creation of long-term strategy for organizations. This is not a "page-turner", it is a text book. As such, don't expect scintillation--expect to learn the tools that are indispensable to creating real, manageable and measurable results. This is an essential part of every business-person's library.
Amie Devero, Author of Powered by Principle: Using Core Values to Build World-Class Organizations
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