Send me AlbuOnStrategy

.........................................................................................................................................................

Out With the Old, in With the New
January 2011
In 2011 we saw firms such as Nokia and Research In Motion (RIM), perennial growth companies, post disappointing results and lost their positions as market leaders…a company’s long-term success is dependent on its ability to adapt so as to keep pace with the marketplace.…
Please click here to read more or download PDF

Strategic Success Comes in 3Ps
December 2011
Whether you are a mid-market, privately-held business or a Fortune 500 corporation, success depends on three key factors: (1) How good is your PLAN? (2) How committed are you to a PROCESS to pursue your goals? (3) How committed are your PEOPLE to staying focused…
Please click here to read more or download PDF


CEO’s Are Only As Good As Their Last Decision
November 2011
People in positions of power are less likely to take advice from others.  They have a high level of confidence in their own judgment and therefore do not feel the need for outside views.  This over confidence bias leads to more flawed decisions.
Please click here to read more or download PDF


Business Killer - Complexity
October 2011
Creating unnecessary complexity in your company can be a business killer.  It quickly leads to a lack of focus, which in turn leads to lost opportunities.  Understanding what your organization does well and where resource should be focused to create business value is a basic premise of strategy management. 
Please click here to read more or download PDF

Death, Taxes and Strategy
September 2011
Only three things in life are certain: 1) death, 2) taxes, and 3) the fact that today’s strategy won’t work tomorrow…At Albu Consulting we believe the path to successfully manage strategic uncertainty is to establish strategy management as an organizational competency.  By applying the principles of the strategy management process, you will make better decisions, more often and with greater confidence, and create greater business value today and tomorrow..
Please click here to read more or download PDF

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters
July 2011
Is your strategy a mix of slogans and goals, or a set of objectives that offer solutions to key problems?  In this issue we recommend you read a new book written by Richard Rumelt release July 19th, 2011 that highlights the pitfalls and fallacies you must avoid in bad strategy.
Please click here to read more or download PDF


6 Months To Go in 2011…Sprint or Stroll
June 2011
The economy is still tenuous as many of our clients, associates and business resources have told us over the past month. Although certain data points seem to point toward an uptick, there appears to be continued concern that there is the prospect of a double dip around the corner. In this month’s newsletter we want to share with you what we are hearing and seeing.
Please click here to read more or download PDF

Keep your Strategy Relevant and Win
May2011
A laser like focus on the short-term has allowed companies to weather the effects of an uncertain business environment. But the long-term  viability of an organization is dependent on its ability to anticipate  when to change its strategy in order to assure its relevance in the  marketplace is maintained. ...
Please click here to read more or download PDF

Four Vital Steps to Increase the Value of your Business
April 2011
It is essential that companies redirect their energies and resources  toward reinforcing what they do really well. Coherence as a company  behind what you do really well provides the winning advantage...
Please click here to read more or download PDF


Recommended Reading: Seven Strategy Questions
By Robert Simons
March 2011
At Albu Consulting we believe that strategy is a continuous  process. Robert Simons the author of this book is of the same opinion.  He has put together a guide on how to continually test your strategy to  identify confusion and inefficiency in your business, and weakness in  your strategy and its execution…
Please click here to read more or download PDF

The CEO’s Promise
February 2011
The most important responsibilities of any CEO are to develop the strategy, clarify strategic initiatives, communicate them to employees and make  sure the initiatives are achieved. It is the essence of the CEO’s  promise to stakeholders. However, all too often CEO’s focus…
Please click here to read more or download PDF

4 Keys to making strategy happen
Winter 2010 Edition
CEOs develop and communicate strategies, and then are responsible for making things happen. Too often, however, they miss some of the most important components of the strategy management process. Here are four keys to  making strategy happen.
Please click here to read more



4 “Rules of Engagement” that Drive Strategic Success
Summer 2010 Edition
We place a high value on planning…but strategy implementation is as  important, if not more important than the plan. If you strip away  everything, the most important driver of successful strategy execution  management comes down to these five things.
Please click here to read more

Five Building Blocks to Successful Strategy Execution
Winter 2010 Edition
We place a high value on planning…but strategy implementation is as important, if not more important than the plan. If you strip away everything, the most important driver of successful strategy execution management comes down to these five things.
Please click here to read more

Three Critical Steps to Recalibrate Your Business
Summer 2009 Edition
We are experiencing turbulence in global markets that is new to all of us. Everything
around us is in recalibration mode--Recalibration requires a disciplined, no-nonsense
approach that will drive change and reset your business model. Consider these
three essential steps…
Please click here to read more

One Game at a Time Gets You the PRIZE
Spring 2009 Edition
Too often the short term needs of a company overshadow its long term goals. The ”noise” of the moment drains resources and distracts management so much that they forget about the ultimate ”trophy” the company is aspiring to achieve over the long term.
Please click here to read more



Reload, Refresh, Renew: Make Strategy Work Harder
Winter 2009 Edition
The reality of today is that we are in the most turbulent economic times with a great deal of uncertainty. How can leadership teams improve the odds of achieving long term strategic goals in this challenging economy? The answer is to adopt a strategic management system that enables the organization to make better decisions, more often, with more confidence.
Please click here to read more

Upturn Thinking in a Downturn Market
Summer 2008 Edition
Nearly all companies are feeling the pressure of the economic downturn.However, building long-term thinking into the restructuring process is critical to success.
Please click here to read more

Five Steps to Weather the Downturn
Fall 2008 Edition
We face some challenging times right now, and the uncertainty will make or break many companies. But in times like these, there are opportunities for the strong to get stronger. Please click here to read more



It's About People First
Spring 2008 Edition
In describing the value of strategic planning...we emphasize the importance of the 3Ps of success-and the most important "P" of success is People...
Please click here to read more

Planning Principles Then and Now
Summer 2007, Edition
While attending IMD (an international management development program in Lausanne, Switzerland) over 20 years ago, I studied a book by Dean Derek Able, titled Strategic MarketPlanning: Problems and analytical Approaches. Upon recently re-reading the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of timeless insights. ...
Please click here to read more

Success Comes From 3Ps
Spring 2007 Edition
Whether you are a mid-market, privately-held business or a Fortune 500 corporation, success depends on three key factors: ...
Please click here to read more

Stop Business Killers Before it’s Too Late
Winter 2007 Edition
Business killers can creep into an organization, stifling momentum or, in the worst cases, driving companies out of business ...
Please click here to read more

It’s Not a Diet, It’s a Lifestyle
Fall 2006 Edition
Business leaders need to think long-term about strategic planning. CEOs sometimes view the strategy process as a once-a-year event, or worse, a once-every-few-years exercise ...
Please click here to read more

No Room for Complacency
Summer 2006 Edition
Are you staying ahead of your competitors, always striving to be better? Are you confident you have a strategy that will take you to a higher level, year after year? ...
Please click here to read more

How Well Do You Know Your Competition?
Spring 2006 Edition
I’m writing this in the midst of ”March Madness”. If you like college basketball, it’s the best time of year. Some of the greatest strategic minds coach these teams...
Please click here to read more

More Tips For Better Strategic Thinking
Winter 2006 Edition
During the last 12 months, Albu Consulting has seen a dramatic increase in the number of its strategic assignments, particularly among mid-sized, privately-held companies...
Please click here to read more

Strategic Planning Your Roadmap to Success
Fall 2005 Edition
Mike Freedman, author of The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership, defined strategy as the determinant of the nature and direction of your organization...
Please click here to read more

Strategy Requires TLC
Summer 2005 Edition
TLC is commonly recognized as ”Tender Loving Care,” and while it certainly applies to the CEO’s essential emotional commitment to the company, I like to define this acronym differently... Please click here to read more

Winners Plan, and Planners Win
Spring 2005 Edition
What does it really take to be successful in today’s fast paced, competitive business environment? Two important factors are...
Please click here to read more

Lights, Camera, ACTION
Winter 2005 Edition
Managers often find the disciplines surrounding developing and setting vision and strategy to be stimulating and fun. However, the ultimate difference between success and mediocrity...
Please click here to read more

Growing ”Smarter”
Fall 2004 Edition
One fundamental of successful strategic planning is the ability to craft growth strategies that capitalize on your organization's capabilities...
Please click here to read more

Ten Fatal Sins of Strategic Planning
Summer 2004 Edition
Strategic planning can be challenging for any business. Below are ten of the most common errors...
Please click here to read more

Acquisitions “ They’re Back!”
Spring 2004 Edition
After a three-year drought, during the second half of 2003 and continuing in the first quarter of 2004, mergers and acquisitions are back...
Please click here to read more

When It’s Time to Examine Your Growth Strategy
Winter 2004 Edition
Company leaders should constantly challenge their organizations’ growth strategies...
Please click here to read more

Is Your Strategy at Risk?
Fall 2003 Edition
Ten Principles to Successful Strategic Planning...
Please click here to read more