From Woe to Flow

Book excerpt: Large-scale, complex systems like the health sector or transport are a challenge to manage; traditional strategic approaches often fail due to the diversity of different stakeholders and the lack of a cohesive strategy language that all within it can understand. What is needed in such systems is a new, fresh, scalable, “open source” framework: one that is “editable” by those at all levels within the organisation. This book provides practitioners and managers within any organisation with a 9-stage modular toolkit for all strategic steps. Utilising Phil Driver’s PRUB framework, which innovatively centres on end-user actions instead of benefits – what do you want to do? – it enables all stakeholders from entry level to executive to actively participate in strategy validation and implementation. This book will enable practitioners with skills in any one of the 9 stages to enhance their skills in that stage but also, most importantly, to link their work in any one stage with all the other stages. The book will also help senior executives to coordinate the full 9-stage sequence in large-scale and complex environments. Following on from Phil Driver’s groundbreaking Validating Strategies, this book covers all 9 stages of strategy, from end-user engagement through to post-implementation review. It will prove game-changing reading for any manager, executive or practitioner that needs a more effective strategic approach, manages a large or complex system in the public sector, or wants to enable and empower talent at all levels of their organisation.