Essential Collaboration Principles (VEVA) for Building Future-Fit Organizations
Versatility
Equitability
Vitality
Agility
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By adopting the VEVA principles, we associate the way forward with essential feminine traits in business, such as nurturing and inclusion. This underscores the profound significance of integrating these crucial components to build a robust, adaptable, and inclusive organization ready to thrive in the future.
Embracing Versatility, Equitability, Vitality, and Agility as foundational pillars, VEVA fosters a balanced and holistic approach, driving sustainable success and innovation. Let’s harness the power of these qualities to create a future-fit organization where every stakeholder flourishes.
Together, these elements form the wheels that drive our vehicle toward a future where businesses are not just fit to compete but are built to last and thrive sustainably. The journey towards this future is navigated through collaboration, inclusivity, and a commitment to shared success, making the RoundMap framework a blueprint for enduring prosperity.
Welcome to our guide on the Core Principles of RoundMap®—your
compass to conquering business complexities and propelling sustainable growth.
RoundMap®, not just a framework but a holistic ecosystem, fortifies modern
organizations with crucial insights and strategies sculpted around its
foundational principles.
At the heart of
RoundMap® lie twelve robust principles (in alphabetical order):
1.
All-Encompassing Integration – Merges
various business facets into a unified, holistic framework, ensuring a seamless
interplay between different operational areas.
2.
Applied Systems Thinking – A holistic
approach that views an organization as interconnected, emphasizing
understanding complex interdependencies and long-term impacts.
3.
Augmented Execution – Harnesses
the power of technology and advanced intelligence to enhance strategic planning
and execution, pushing the boundaries of traditional business practices.
4.
Consentric Alignment – Facilitates
consent-driven decision-making, distributed from the center to the constellation
of teams, thereby enhancing resilience, adaptability, and accountability.
5.
Cyclical Evolution – Advocates
for continuous improvement through cyclical processes, fostering an environment
of perpetual growth and adaptation.
6.
Empowered Action – Promotes a
leadership style that is collaborative and empowering, distributing
responsibilities across the organization to encourage innovation and engagement
at all levels.
7.
Integrative Diversity – Balances
specialized expertise with a broad, holistic understanding, embracing diverse
perspectives for comprehensive problem-solving and innovation.
8.
Impact-Focused Approach – Prioritizes
actions and strategies that yield sustainable and positive impacts within the
organization and the wider community.
9.
Human-Centric Orientation – Puts people
at the forefront, focusing on human needs and experiences to drive
organizational success and employee satisfaction.
10.
Skillful Mastery – Highlights
the importance of skill development and effective utilization, ensuring team
members are equipped to contribute their best.
11.
Story-Driven Communication – Utilizes the
power of storytelling to convey the organization’s values, vision, and mission,
creating a compelling and relatable narrative.
12.
Whole System Engagement – Concentrates
on nurturing the overall health and dynamism of businesses, engaging every
aspect of the organization in the journey toward excellence.
Our guide will delve into understanding each of these
principles, exploring how they drive the effectiveness of RoundMap® across
diverse business contexts. Beyond theoretical knowledge, you’ll gain invaluable
insights into implementing these principles, propelling your organization
toward sustainable prosperity.
Whether you’re a
seasoned leader, a start-up entrepreneur, or an aspiring business professional,
gaining insights into these principles will empower you to navigate the
intricate corridors of the business landscape confidently. Prepare to embark on
a profound learning journey that fundamentally redefines how you perceive and
act within the business world.
Unravel the
RoundMap® framework, derived from its eight core principles, to illuminate your
pathway toward sustained relevance and prosperity. Dig in, and let your journey
toward business excellence commence.
1. All-encompassing Integration
2. Applied Systems Thinking
3. Augmented Execution
RoundMap’s augmentative ability is a testament to the integration of
expansive thought and cutting-edge technology in business intelligence. Its 48
Thinking Caps gives executives a comprehensive panoptic view of business
operations. This multi-faceted perspective allows decision-makers to dive deep
into every nook and cranny of their organization, from its strategies and
structures to its underlying culture and purpose.
Furthermore, leveraging the power of augmented intelligence with an
interactive chat agent, RoundMap® systematically maps out the current business
dynamics—highlighting strengths, pinpointing opportunities, identifying
challenges, and laying out visions, missions, plans, and more. In an era where
business complexities continue escalating, making it increasingly challenging
to account for every variable, RoundMap® is an invaluable compass, guiding
executives to make informed and strategically sound decisions for their
journey.
4. Consentric Alignment
Consentric Alignment, as envisioned in the Consentricity™ model, marks a
significant departure from the traditional top-down command-and-control
structures still prevalent in many organizations. This innovative approach to
organizational design is inspired by the concept of concentric circles, where
each circle represents different roles and functions, yet all are
interconnected and harmoniously aligned. At its core lies the Circle of
Confluence, a pivotal forum where collaborative governance and equitable
decision-making occur. Embodying the organization’s highest values, this
central circle sets the tone for decision-making, ethical conduct, and cultural
resonance, ensuring that these core principles permeate every layer of the
organization.
Around the central Circle of Confluence are various concentric circles –
including Councilors, Catalysts, Coordinators, and the Constellation of Teams –
each with distinct roles but working in an integrated fashion. This structure
fosters a consent-based decision-making process, where decisions are not
imposed from the top but are reached through collective agreement, respecting
and valuing the input of each circle. Such an arrangement promotes inclusivity
and ensures that every decision aligns with the organization’s core values and
objectives. The Consentricity™ model, therefore, creates a cohesive and
harmonious system where the traditional hierarchies are replaced with a more
fluid, dynamic, and inclusive form of governance, reflecting a deep commitment
to collective success and ethical standards
5. Cyclical Evolution
At its essence, a market participant is driven by the ethos of efficient
value creation and optimization, always aiming for the cost of value production
to be lower than the value retrieved upon its delivery to the market. However,
in the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) world,
organizations might confront scenarios where the expense of realizing value
temporarily surpasses its creation. This deviation doesn’t detract from the
ultimate goal of profitability but underscores the imperative of adaptability
and building resilience for the future.
Herein lies the significance of cyclical leadership—a leadership style that
recognizes the inherent ebb and flow of business cycles, adapting strategies
and tactics in response to the changing rhythms of the market. Rather than
being linear and fixed in approach, cyclical leaders iterate, pivot, and
evolve, ensuring their organization’s long-term viability and competitiveness
in perpetually evolving market terrains. This agility and cyclical perspective
position organizations to weather challenges and capitalize on emerging
opportunities.
6. Empowered Action
RoundMap champions Empowered Action and Distributed Leadership, moving away
from traditional leadership models where authority is concentrated at the top.
This paradigm shift recognizes that every team member, with their unique blend
of skills, knowledge, and experience, plays a vital role in guiding the
organization. By empowering individuals at all levels, this approach fosters a
culture where responsibility, engagement, and ownership are not just top-down
mandates but are ingrained in every aspect of the organization.
Empowered Action offers numerous advantages. It significantly bolsters
employee engagement and commitment by giving all members a direct role in
decision-making and leadership. This empowerment leads to a surge in innovation
as diverse perspectives contribute to creative problem-solving and strategic
thinking. Team morale and motivation also soar, driven by collective
responsibility and shared achievement. This approach adeptly spreads
decision-making and leadership tasks in an era of organizational complexity,
ensuring agility and adaptability. Moreover, dispersing authority provides a
robust foundation for resilience during change, maintaining continuity and
stability. This focus on Empowered Action is not just about distributing tasks;
it’s about instilling a sense of leadership at every level, turning the entire
organization into a dynamic, responsive, and cohesive entity.
7. Integrative Diversity
Balancing individuals with deep expertise and polymaths – deep and broad
knowledge – is crucial for fostering creativity, innovation, complex
problem-solving, and synthesis in organizations. Specialists bring focused,
in-depth insights, while polymaths contribute wide-ranging perspectives that
can bridge diverse areas of knowledge.
This blend enhances the organization’s ability to generate novel ideas,
tackle complex issues, and integrate different viewpoints for more
comprehensive solutions. It creates a dynamic environment where diverse skills
and perspectives coalesce, driving forward-thinking and innovative outcomes.
8. Impact-Focused Approach
The impact-driven core principle of RoundMap® emphasizes driving meaningful
change within and beyond an organization. It involves a comprehensive approach
to analyzing, formulating, implementing, and evaluating operations based on
their impact.
This four-step recursive process integrates impact assessment into the
strategic framework, ensuring business objectives align with positive outcomes.
An impact-driven organization continuously refines its approach, like
maintaining a well-oiled machine, striving to create beneficial changes,
differentiate itself, and improve long-term performance while contributing
positively to the global landscape.
9. Human-Centric Orientation
Human-centric organizing, anchored in virtuous cycle leadership,
revolutionizes organizational culture by emphasizing human value. It fosters
environments of psychological safety, enabling open communication and
innovation. This approach cultivates resilience and adaptability, enhancing
stakeholder satisfaction and aligning internal and external success.
The virtuous cycle principle underlines the reciprocal benefits of caring
for employees and customers, reinforcing that valuing individuals drives
transformative growth. Integrating this theory encourages organizations to
focus on their people, creating a thriving internal ecosystem that promotes
sustained growth and shared prosperity.
10. Skillful Mastery
Skills-First, a pioneering principle in modern talent acquisition,
revolutionizes traditional hiring paradigms by prioritizing the development of
essential competencies over static qualifications. This strategic approach
recognizes that an individual’s skill set, practical abilities, and aptitudes
indicate their potential success in a role more than conventional markers such
as degrees or certifications. It represents a departure from the
one-size-fits-all mentality, fostering an environment where diverse skills
contribute to a dynamic and enriched workplace. Embracing Skills-First ensures
real-world relevance, promotes diversity and inclusion, and positions
organizations to adapt swiftly to evolving industry landscapes.
This transformative philosophy enhances recruitment strategies and unlocks
the full potential of individuals within an organization. By valuing and
cultivating diverse skills, Skills-First allows for tailored development paths,
fostering a meritocratic environment where advancement is based on demonstrated
abilities. This approach enhances employee engagement and satisfaction and acts
as a proactive strategy for future-proofing talent, ensuring organizations are
equipped with the capabilities needed to stay competitive in an ever-evolving
business landscape.
11. Story-Driven Communication
Storytelling, an age-old art, plays an invaluable role in the intricate
dance of value signaling. Whether illuminating a compelling need or showcasing
an abundant surplus, a well-crafted story built upon a riveting plot can evoke
emotions, drive action, and foster connections. Enter the realm of
StoryCasting™, a dynamic fusion of storytelling and casting a line, much like
an angler aiming to attract fish. Storycasting is a strategic lure in business,
drawing customers into a brand’s narrative.
At its heart, every potent story pivots on its plot—a series of
interconnected events or moments that lay the foundation for the narrative.
Through this plotted journey, brands can effectively communicate their value
propositions, resonating with the desires and aspirations of their audience. As
such, a masterfully told story informs and beckons, guiding listeners toward
the intended value, be it a call to action or an invitation to partake in a
surplus offering.
12. Whole System Engagement
Whole System Engagement, as a key principle of RoundMap®, is a
transformative approach that integrates the entire human system of an
organization into the process of change and development. Rooted in the
principles of Appreciative Inquiry, this method centers on discovering and amplifying
the existing strengths of an organization – its team, management, systems, and
processes. Rather than focusing solely on fixing problems, it encourages
exploring and building upon what already works well. This positive focus
creates a fertile ground for innovation and growth.
In this approach, every individual in the organization is invited to
participate in shaping its future. This inclusive, collaborative process not
only ensures a deeper understanding and alignment with the organization’s
mission but also fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among all
stakeholders. By empowering individuals to contribute their insights and ideas,
Whole System Engagement leads to more robust, sustainable changes. It’s a shift
from traditional top-down decision-making to a more democratic, bottom-up
approach, where change is co-created, reflecting the collective aspirations and
strengths of the entire organization.
Figure 2.1 A team of marketing strategists brainstorm to develop a strategic plan. (credit: modification of work “Design a Better Business Masterclass @ Zoku Amsterdam, October 2017” by Sebastiaan ter Burg/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Frito-Lay, the producer of Doritos, Lay’s, and Cheetos, is a $13 billion business division of PepsiCo.1 If you’re a snack food fan, you might have noticed how Frito-Lay seems to constantly come up with new flavors for its chips—dill pickle, Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice, Chile Limón, and more. You might picture nutritionists and scientists working in labs, trying recipe after recipe in order to come up with a winner. But Frito-Lay has a unique way of including customers in its strategic decision-making process.2
The company crowdsources its new flavors through a contest called “Do Us a Flavor,” in which it asks customers to submit ideas for flavors they’d like Lay’s to develop. The company then selects the three best entries and awards a cash prize to the winners.3
For example, Frito-Lay’s “Turn Up the Flavor” contest resulted in three limited-time flavors inspired by three different music genres: hip-hop, pop, and rock. To pique interest in the content, Frito-Lay teamed up with singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha, who wrote the theme song for the campaign, and the company included a unique code for the new chip packets so that buyers could unlock Rexha’s new tracks.4
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Let’s start with a simplified definition of strategy and then move on from there. Many if not most of you have watched a football game, either live or on TV. Perhaps you’re a fan of a particular team or you’ll watch the Super Bowl (perhaps just to see the commercials). Every football coach knows that you don’t enter a game without a game plan—the process of taking plays out of the playbook and putting them into a game plan for a specific opponent. This isn’t an easy task. The coaching staff has to consider the skills and experience of the players on the team as well as the strengths—and weaknesses—of the opposing team, and they will develop the plays that they feel will best neutralize the strengths of the opposing team while taking advantage of the strengths of their own players.
That football game plan is a great analogy for a business’s overall strategy—the plans, actions, objectives, and goals that outline how the business is going to compete in its chosen markets given its portfolio of products or services. In marketing, a portfolio is a collection or listing of all the goods and services that a company sells to customers.
Distinctions are often made between corporate-level strategy, business-level strategy, and functional strategy, so let’s briefly define them here. Corporate-level strategy covers the entire business in a complex organization where there are multiple businesses, divisions, or operating units (sometimes called strategic business units, or SBUs). Corporate-level strategies are formulated and implemented by upper management. Business-level strategy is the strategic plan created for a single business or operating unit, and these plans are generally developed by middle management to support the corporate-level strategy. Corporate-level and business-level strategies lead to the development of functional strategy, which is the plan to achieve the corporate- and business-level objectives in functional areas such as human resources, marketing, and production.
People say a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look at how this breaks down in Figure 2.2.
Many organizations have only a single product line, market focus, or business, so they will require only a business-level strategy. However, with larger organizations, it can be important to break the overall business into smaller, more manageable strategic business units to maintain an overall focus on the business as a whole and pull the business-level strategies into a cohesive whole.
Consider, for example, Procter & Gamble. The producer of such diverse products as diapers, Tide detergent, and Oral-B toothpaste has five industry-based strategic business units—baby, feminine, and family care; beauty; health care; grooming; and fabric and home care, family care, and new ventures. Each of these SBUs has its own chief executive officer and functions essentially as a standalone business under the corporate “umbrella.”5
When you consider the complexities of the diverse markets Procter & Gamble serves, this makes sense. Competing in the oral care market is vastly different than competing in baby products, so separate SBUs require separate strategic plans.
There are many variations of the strategic planning process—almost as many as there are publications on strategic planning. For our purposes in this textbook, we’re going to use the five-step process outlined in Figure 2.3. Keep in mind, however, that the process may be a little different for some organizations depending on the stage of their products in the product life cycle (which we’ll learn more about in Products: Consumer Offerings), the maturity of the industry in which the business participates, how competitive the marketplace is, and other factors.
The strategic planning process begins with a solid understanding of what the organization is trying to create—that is, its vision statement. A vision statement is forward-looking and is intended to create a mental image of what the organization wants to achieve in the longer term. Vision statements should be both inspirational and aspirational.
Let’s look at some vision statements from companies with which you might be familiar so you’ll see how this works:
For more information on how to write a vision statement, take a look at this brief video from RapidStart Leadership.
Now that the vision statement is complete, it’s time to tackle the mission statement, which quite simply answers the question, Why does the company exist? The mission statement of an organization sums up in one to three sentences what the company does, who it serves, and what differentiates it from its competitors. Whereas the vision statement provided the destination (i.e., Where is the business going?), the mission statement provides the guideposts for the business to get there.
Mission statements serve two purposes. First, a well-written mission statement helps employees remain focused on the aims of the business. Second, it encourages them to discover ways of moving toward increasing their productivity in order to achieve company goals. Mission statements aren’t just for internal use, however. Prospective investors also often refer to a company’s mission statement to see if their values align with those of the company. Once again, let’s bring this definition to life by including a few mission statements from well-known companies:
There are also two types of mission statements: customer oriented or product oriented. What’s the difference? A customer-oriented mission statement defines the business in terms of how it intends to provide solutions to customer needs. As examples, take a look at some of these customer-oriented mission statements:
The other type of mission statement is a product-oriented one. With a product-oriented mission statement, the focus is on the offering itself rather than the needs of customers. Again, look at a couple of examples of product-oriented mission statements so you can see the difference between these mission statements and the customer-oriented mission statements shown above:
For more information on how to write an effective mission statement, check out this brief video from Bplans.
Before we get into the specifics of how to perform a gap analysis, let’s define it. Simply put, a gap analysis is an internal analysis of the company or organization to identify and review any inherent deficiencies that may hinder its ability to meet its goals. In other words, a gap analysis determines what factors in the organization may be causing it to underperform.
A gap analysis answers the following questions:
A gap analysis as part of the strategic planning process is a way to determine where the “soft spots” are and where adjustments need to be made before setting a course of action.
There are four steps to completion of a gap analysis. Let’s take a look:
With the mission and vision statement in place, along with a candid view of the organization through gap analysis, we can now define the goals and objectives for the organization. Goals and objectives are a critical part of every organization, particularly in the strategic planning process. When written effectively, these goals provide a sense of direction and a clearer focus. It’s these goals that give the organization a target at which it can aim, so to speak.
But before we go further, let’s differentiate between goals and objectives. Both terms refer to desired outcomes that the organization wants to achieve, but that’s where the similarity ends. Goals are statements of desired outcomes that are expected to be achieved over a longer period of time, typically three to five years. Goals are broad statements of the desired results; they do not describe the methods that will be utilized in order to achieve those results. For example, common business goals may include increasing revenue or market share or reducing the company’s carbon footprint.20
On the other hand, objectives are “action items.” They are specific targets to be achieved within a shorter time frame, generally one year or less, in order to achieve the stated goal. Whereas goals describe the end result, objectives describe the actions or activities that need to take place in order to achieve the goal. For example, if your goal was to increase market share, the objective would likely be stated as something like “Increase market share to 6 percent by the end of the year.”21
The goals and objectives of an organization define the key actions that allow it to execute its chosen strategy. However, in order to be effective, goals and objectives should be SMART— specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, and time-bound—as shown in Figure 2.4.
For more information on establishing SMART Goals, check out this video from SMA Marketing.
If you had decided to save money from each of your paychecks to eventually purchase a new car, you’d probably check the balance in your savings account on a regular basis to see how you’re progressing toward your goal. The same is true in the strategic planning process. In order for goals and objectives to be effective, marketers need to monitor them on a continuous basis to determine if they’re on track or if the goals and objectives need to be refined in response to unforeseen circumstances.
One way that marketers accomplish this is through the use of a marketing dashboard. Like the dashboard in your car, which tells you at a glance how much fuel you have, how fast you’re going, and a host of other important information, a marketing dashboard summarizes important marketing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs; to be covered later in this chapter) into easy-to-understand measurements.23 This enables marketers to view ongoing progress so that they can be aware of potential problems before they actually become serious issues.
Marketing manager jobs differ by company and industry, but in general it’s a leadership position in charge of the marketing strategy at a company or for a product. Marketing managers often complete research, create pricing parameters, and work with other departments within the company such as finance, legal, advertising, promotion, and product development. Read this Marketing Manager article to learn more about the specifics of what a marketing manager does and the types of marketing manager that exist. It’s commonly known that marketing managers need to be proficient in problem-solving. Read this article to learn why it’s important and the specific skills you’ll need.
There is growth potential in being a marketing manager. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10 percent growth in the job role from 2021 to 2031, and you can read more about the job outlook here.
Would you like to know more about the job role? Read this Forbes article to learn the top skills necessary, the typical path to this job, and degree requirements.
There are many types of jobs in marketing. You’ll be introduced to several throughout this textbook. You’ll also want to check out this list of 15 job titles and what the job role encompasses. Keep in mind that regardless of where you start in marketing, you have options as you move in your career journey. Many people move between marketing roles, and the skills you learn in each role will help you in other roles.
It’s time to check your knowledge on the concepts presented in this section. Refer to the Answer Key at the end of the book for feedback.