A New Year and A Revised Tangible Vision

Happy New Year to one and all

This past year has been an interesting year for Collaboration360. After four yrs of researching, developing and experimenting, we introduced our concept of top-down project planning to potential clients.

The concept of our Compass AE process was new to many people. Gaining access to them was a challenge. Once it was presented to potential clients, they became interested in implementing our process.

This past year, we have guided and mentored startups from different industrial niches and assisted them in the following:

• strategic marketing;
  
• marketing development;
  
• product development; and
• operations management

They used it as a decision making tool when brainstorming or confirming on various strategic matters.

Establish "The Gold Standard"
During their initial Build and Connect stage of their training, we suggested that they should establish a goal that gives them a position of strategic advantage. It forces their competitors to be the pursuer not the leader. (This particular view is called "Establishing the Gold Standard").

The "Gold Standard" is a standard of quality and excellence that gives the implementors a strategic lead over their competitors


The Importance of Defining a "Gold Standard" within a Tangible Vision?
Being seasoned professionals, we believe in establishing a strategic lead with innovation and quality. Our Compass AE training enabled the client to decide whether to plan for a strategic lead.

Establishing a strategic lead might not always be a good idea. This move depends greatly on the constraints embedded in the client's grand settings.


Achieving Strategic Lead
Achieving this level of strategy positioning requires the team to have strategic insights and experience in their area of expertise and the overall marketplace.

While there were clients who believed in this view of strategic positioning. There were others who prefer a less risky and reactive strategic approach. This choice usually lead to a state of being stressed and grinded by their competitors.

Choosing "The Gold Standard" option is up to the client . As long as the benefits of defining and pursuing "The Gold Standard" is understood, they had the right to build, connect and implement their Tangible Vision within their own comfort level.


The Benefits of Creating a Strategic Position
The client's project team who boldly established a "Gold Standard" in their Tangible Vision, were able to do the following:

• Secured positional advantage in their competitive arena;
• Performed long advanced planning and strategic matters while minding the "big picture";
• Influenced the opposition to grind

Outcome: They were strategically positioned to succeed in their marketplace.


Revised Our Own Tangible Vision
While our message of "collaboration without borders" is still relevant, we decided to focus on how project teams can accelerate their workflow through the use of Compass AE.

When a team properly built and connected with their Tangible Vision, they were able to do the following:

1. Understand the critical path;
2. Avoid negatives, focus on positives;
3. Anticipate opportunities;
4. Adjust strategically;
5. Shape the Tangible Vision; and
6. Lead by strategic collaboration

More details on those six points are revealed in our presentation. If you are interested in knowing more about these six points, please contact us.


Outcome from Build, Connect and Lead with the Tangible Vision
During our review of the client use of Compass AE, we discovered that the team achieved the following:

• accelerated workflow
• positive team collaboration and
• effective meetings.

Does your strategic collaborative process do that?


Final Thoughts
In future entries, we will cover the following topics:

• Apply Compass AE in a corporate bureaucratic setting;
  
• Apply Compass AE in a chaotic, fast-moving setting; and
• Apply Compass AE regardless of the distance, the technology and the project culture

As a note, we will continue to introduce the various use of strategic concepts from Sun Zi (Sun Tzu) and other strategy classics on this blog.

If you have any questions or comments, drop us a line. We wish everyone a prosperous 2008.

With Best Regards,

C360 Chief Architect



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