PATRICK J. STROH is Principal at Mercury Business Advisors, a firm providing business management advisory services in areas such as Business Strategy, Operational Execution, Innovation, and Product Development. Prior to Mercury Business Advisors, he held multiple positions at UnitedHealth Group, including Senior Vice President and Client Experience Officer, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Senior Vice President Business Strategy, President Consumer Health Products, and Senior Director of Enterprise Risk Management.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xvii

Part I: Level Setting/Foundation 1

Chapter 1: Evolution of Strategic Planning and Today’s Role: Chief Strategy Officer 5

Evolution of Strategic Planning 6

New Role: Chief Strategy Officer 14

Strategy Starts at the Top 14

Why Can’t This Role Simply Remain with the CEO/President? 15

Is Business Strategy Work a Full-Time Job? Isn’t Business Strategy Work a Once-a-Year Job? 16

What Type of Chief Strategy Officer Is Needed? 20

CSO: A Distributed Solution versus a Singular Role 29

Summary 30

Chapter 2: Emotional Intelligence: Being “Facilitative and Consultative” 33

Characterizations 37

Innovation and Linkage to Business Strategy 42

Summary 50

Part II: Parables that Teach and Portray Business Strategy 53

Chapter 3: Everything I Needed to Learn about Business Strategy I Learned . . . from Hell’s

Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares 55

Hell’s Kitchen 57

An Incredible Sous-Chef Makes a Big Difference 58

Know Your Sweet Spot 59

Running the Pass 60

Competing Restaurants 60

Perform Like a Champion 61

Kitchen Nightmares 62

Know Your Customers, and Listen to Them 63

I Am the God of Food 64

It’s Not My Fault, They Didn’t Tell Me! 64

Not Managing the Details 65

Are You Tasting Your Food? 66

Simplicity and Its Impact on Execution 67

Counting Coins in the Kitchen 68

Final Plating of This Chapter 69

Summary 71

Chapter 4: Everything I Needed to Learn about Business Strategy I Learned . . . at the Movies 73

21 Movies: Six Lessons on Business Strategy 74

Passion/Motivation 74

Imagination/Innovation 78

Planning 79

Values and Teamwork 81

Customer Experience 85

Knowing Your Market/Strategic Intel 86

The Final Scene 87

Summary 88

Chapter 5: Everything I Needed to Learn about Business Strategy I Learned . . . Growing Up on a Farm 91

Hard Work 92

Being the Boss 93

Planning and Executing 96

Technology 97

Milk Co-ops 98

Innovation 99

Outsourcing 101

Delegation 102

Sharpening the Saw 103

Summary 104

Chapter 6: Everything I Needed to Learn about Business Strategy I Learned . . . from the Bible 107

Five Themes of Business Parables from the Bible 109

Vision/Planning 110

Communications and Listening to Customers 112

Roles and Responsibilities 114

Seeking Counsel and Direction 117

Execution 119

Final Closing Point 122

Summary 123

Chapter 7: Everything I Needed to Learn about Business Strategy I Learned . . . from Shark Tank 125

Typical Questions the Sharks Ask All Presenters 126

Round 2: Shark Personalities 132

Summary 137

Part III: Tools, Resources, and Conclusions 139

Chapter 8: The Strategy Toolbox and Other References 141

13 Lucky Models and Methods 142

Personal Top 12 Most Valuable Business Books of All Time 153

One Final Tool 155

Chapter 9: Winning Checklist: How to Succeed in Business Strategy 157

Winning Conclusions and Summary 161

A Closing Song 166

About the Author 167

Index 169

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