суббота, 11 мая 2024 г.

70 AI Prompt Examples for Marketers to Use in 2024

 


Garbage in, garbage out. While that’s certainly true of coding, that now applies to marketers who want to make the most of AI. I’ve written dozens of iterations of the same prompt, refining my query until I could strike the right balance.

When used right, AI saves me time on routine tasks and sparks my thinking. I can then focus on sprucing up the bot’s output or funnel my energies to the more creative, engaging parts of my job.

However, the right prompts are essential to make the most of AI’s capabilities.

In this article, I’ll share examples of AI prompts marketers that marketers can use to make the job easier. We’ll also share essential data on how marketers are using AI today.

How do AI prompts work?

All AI tools share a commonality: “great prompt = great output.”

A great AI prompt is specific, straightforward, filled with relevant information, and uses complete sentences. If your AI prompts deviate from the above qualities, the odds of getting unusable responses increase.

AI Prompts in Marketing Today

Our recent State of AI survey shows that hundreds of marketers benefit from artificial intelligence solutions. We surveyed 1,350 U.S. business professionals.

Marketers from our survey found that AI helped their teams automate manual tasks, save time, create personalized content, and better understand customer needs. That all relies on writing prompts that are specific and clear.


We asked marketers for their most effective when writing prompts for general AI. Of respondents, 53% suggested offering relevant context or background information. That includes specifying the target audience, describing the themes to cover, and providing additional notes.

Other best practices included using follow-up prompts to expand on previous outputs (43%) and providing specific prompts (45%). Another 55% recommended experimenting with different prompts to see what works best for your specific use case.


When using generative AI to write copy, the majority of marketers (51%) needed to write three prompts in order to achieve the desired result. When writing messages, 63% of respondents said they only needed to make minor edits to the text.

So, the prompts you use make all the difference. To learn more about how marketers leverage AI, download the State of AI report.

Marketers use AI for more than one purpose. They can use it to brainstorm entire processes or series if done correctly. So, as you find inspiration for your AI prompts, ‌try them out in HubSpot’s Content Assistant.


This content assistant tool natively integrates with the HubSpot products you know and love, allowing you to toggle between manual and AI content creation to generate copy for blogs, emails, and more.

Now, let’s explore the different prompts you can use for your marketing strategy.

Marketing AI Prompt Examples

Examples of AI Prompts for Marketers


Educational Prompts

These prompts are useful for writing drafts of top-of-the-funnel content about popular topics. Here are some examples:

1. What is [topic]? Write a blog post of [number] words introducing the reader to [topic].

2. Briefly explain the stages of the [topic].

3. List the key elements of effective [topic].

4. What is the difference between [topic 1] and [topic 2]?

5. Outline how [topic] trends have influenced [another topic].

Informative Prompts

Informative prompts let you generate content that offers valuable insights to readers on a topic. Here are a few examples:

6. Create content for our help page that explains how [popular software feature] works.

7. Explain what [your company] can learn from [competitor] optimization of its user experience.

8. What are some popular myths about [topic]? Write a strong essay under 1,000 words that dispels all myths.

Listicle Prompts

These prompts help you outline ideas and create drafts for a list blog post or social media post. See some examples below.

9. List [number] must-have tools for beginner [topic] enthusiasts.

10. List [number] blog post titles on the benefit of an effective [topic].

11. List the major themes in our recent customer review below: [review].

12. List [number] common misconceptions about [topic] and debunk them.

13. List [number] frequently asked customer questions about our [topic]. Provide answers under 100 words to each question.

 Technical Prompts

AI tools help write drafts of technical materials. Below are some technical AI prompts.

14. Write a [user manual] for [product feature] that guides users through its use.

15. Attached is the raw data of a survey we conducted. Our company’s name is [name]. We surveyed [user groups]. Analyze the survey data and outline the key findings.

16. Create a business proposal for a new content management system in a hypothetical company. Address costs, timelines, and expected benefits.

Art AI Prompts

Creating great art with AI is both a science and an art. Before creating an art prompt, you need to set up an account with tools like Midjourney. Here’s how an AI expert, Ruben Hassid, recommends you do this:

1. Open Midjourney and Discord accounts.

  • Google Midjourney.
  • Click Join Beta.
  • Create a Discord account.
  • Subscribe to any of their plans.

2. Use Midjourney.

  • Invite Midjourney to your channel.
  • Start a prompt with “/imagine.”
  • Use descriptive words and techniques.
  • Select the best variation out of 4.
  • Upscale it or create variations of it.

3. Upscale the image or create variations.

U = Upscale = Make an image bigger.

V = Variation = 4 new images based on that one.

U1 = Upscale the top left image.

U2 = Upscale the top right image.

U3 = Upscale the bottom left image.

U4 = Upscale the bottom right image.

V1 = Create 4 variations from the top left image.

V2 = Create 4 variations from the top right image.

V3 = Create 4 variations from the bottom left image.

V4 = Create 4 variations from the bottom right image.


Examples of AI art prompts

17. An image for a [content type] showing a researcher engrossed in their work.

18. An image of a bold [color] lady for a web page. Lady should wear a jacket, look forward, smile, have dark hair, fold her hands, and stand in a library setting.

19. An image of nine professionals in a Zoom call setting. Blur the images a bit. Place the image of a [color] man in front of the image. The man should have a bold, bright smile and should be in a suit.

20. Image of cartoon researching with their computer. A ghost caricature behind the cartoon shows the researcher is a ghostwriter.

Examples of AI Prompts for Lead Generation

Lead generation is attracting prospects to your business and increasing their interest in becoming customers.

AI can empower marketers to attract more potential customers based on buyer persona characteristics if specified in the AI prompt. The following examples showcase how to get those customized results.

21. Generate ideas for a new product launch in [month] that incorporate the theme of [season] and [tone].

22. Brainstorm content ideas for a blog post about [topic] in [number] of words or fewer that is search engine optimized in formatting using H2s and H3s accordingly.

23. Suggest high-volume keyword clusters for [topic] to optimize search engine rankings.

24. Identify popular trends in the industry of [product or service] that an audience of [target audience] will be interested in this [upcoming season].

25. Generate ideas for an upcoming marketing campaign about [new product] with a marketing mix comprising [product] [price] [place] [promotion channels].

26. Suggest [number] ways to improve website traffic during [holiday season].

27. Identify potential target audiences in [location] that would be interested in buying [product] to solve [pain point].

28. Suggest new strategies for lead generation in [market] and [industry].

29. Generate ideas for creating a viral social media campaign using recent [social media platform] trending audios or popular memes from [month] [year].

30. Identify new channels for advertising [product] aside from [current platforms already in use].

Examples of AI Prompts for Social Media Posts

Did you know that AI can recognize different social media platforms? Marketers benefit from using AI prompts for their preferred channels instead of basing strategy on generalizations.

Here are some excellent examples to follow for social media drafts.

Image Source

31. Write a tweet promoting a new product suited for a target audience in [industry] and [location].

32. Generate a post for Instagram featuring a customer testimonial about [product] in under [number] words.

33. Write a Facebook post introducing a new product feature and rephrase its current description to sound more exciting and effective: [insert current product description text].

34. Create a LinkedIn post promoting a new job opening in [number] words or less with a strong call-to-action at the end.

35. Draft a Pinterest post featuring a new product line and provide tips on improving product photography for [type of aesthetic].

36. Write a YouTube video description for a new product review that links to [insert links] for viewers to go to the product landing page for more information.

37. Draft a TikTok video script showcasing a product demonstration for 2 minutes at maximum.

38. Create a Snapchat story promoting a limited-time offer and describe the type of stickers or filters that can improve it.

39. Write a blog post title to promote a new social media campaign in [number] characters or less.

40. Draft an email subject line to promote a new blog post that feels personal, enticing, and not spammy.

Examples of AI Prompts for Podcast or Video Content

Developing ideas for podcasts or videos on your own can be exhausting. Thankfully, AI can provide ideas for them and even walk you through the script and development process if you specify it in your prompt.

See the different prompts that can help you create multimedia content.

41. Draft a podcast episode about the latest [industry] trends and innovations that contains [number] minutes of dialogue.

42. Produce [number] of topics for a video series featuring interviews with thought leaders in [industry].

43. Develop a podcast episode discussing the benefits of [products or services] divided into four chapters.

44. Create a video series that showcases customer success stories.

45. Produce a podcast episode on the history and evolution of [brand or industry].

46. Develop a video series on best practices for using [products or services] in [number] of different ways.

47. Create a podcast episode that features an expert roundtable discussion on [industry topics].

48. Produce ideas for a video series featuring a behind-the-scenes look at your company’s operations.

49. Develop a podcast episode that offers tips and advice on succeeding in [industry] as an entrepreneur.

50. Create a video series highlighting the impact of [products or services] on the lives of customers or clients in [demographic].

Examples of AI Prompts for Content Promotion



Marketers looking for more effective ways to promote their products or services can use AI for best practices. Explore the different channels, tips, and methods this technology can yield using solid AI prompts.

51. Suggest the best time and day of the week to publish a blog post about [topic].

52. Write a press release announcing a new product launch geared toward [target audience] that sounds confident, exciting, and interesting.

53. Generate ideas for outreach emails to promote a new product, including [number] of attention-grabbing subject lines and [number] of clear calls-to-action.

54. Write a guest post for a popular industry blog discussing the impact of [product] on [marketing strategy].

55. Suggest the [number] best hashtags for a social media campaign on [social media platform] to reach [target audience].

56. Draft a script for a 60-second podcast ad [for service/product] that has a friendly tone and witty humor fit for [target audience characteristics].

57. Create a landing page for a new product promotion divided into [number] sections about different benefits based on this description: [insert new product description].

58. Write a script for a TV commercial involving [number] actors in [setting] that promotes [product/service].

59. Draft a product description for an ecommerce site that is [number] sentences long and enticing to [target audience].

60. Generate ideas for cross-promotion with other businesses in the [market], specifically with brands such as [brand names].

Examples of AI Prompts for Repurposing Content

AI can allow marketers to reuse and refresh outdated content to make something new or more useful in the current year — a process we call historical optimization.

When making AI prompts for content repurposing, be creative and see how you can transform your old work into something new.


Image Source

61. Repurpose a blog post into a video script using this article: [insert old blog post].

62. Turn a webinar into a podcast episode using this pre-existing transcript: [insert old webinar transcript].

63. Repurpose an ebook into a series of [number] blog posts using this pre-existing text: [insert old ebook content].

64. Generate ideas for updating an outdated infographic on [topic] for [year].

65. Rewrite a blog post into a series of [number] social media post series for [social media platform].

66. Turn an old product page into a landing page for a new product using this pre-existing copy: [insert old product page content].

67. Generate ideas for repurposing a white paper into a video series about [topic] using this pre-existing text: [insert old whitepaper content].

68. Rewrite an old email campaign into a new one with updated messaging suited for [season] [year].

69. Turn a research report into a series of social media posts using this information: [facts from the research report].

70. Generate ideas for repurposing an old product demo into a webinar.

Use Thorough AI Prompts for Thorough Results

AI is becoming incredibly useful for marketers in more ways than one. When you leverage this technology, make sure you’re using specific and concise prompts to yield the results your team seeks.

Experiment with different AI tools and AI prompts to find the best results for your needs.


https://tinyurl.com/24rkhr6k

Turnaround in business. Part 1

 


turnaround
/ˈtəːnəraʊnd/
noun
  1. 1.
    an abrupt or unexpected change, especially one that results in a more favourable situation.
    "it was a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes"
  2. 2.
    the process of completing or the time needed to complete a task, especially one involving receiving something, processing it, and sending it out again.
    "a seven-day turnaround"

Business Turnaround Definition

There have been many attempts to place a definition on ‘Business Turnaround‘. However, these are quickly becoming ‘out-of-date’ as the restructuring and turnaround profession advances in our modern disruptive world.

At TurnAbout AU, we have thought long and hard on the topic. The most accurate Business Turnaround definition we have arrived at is:

The immediate intervention and implementation of short timeframe strategies for the purpose of achieving the sustainable recovery of an underperforming, yet potentially viable, business model.

It wouldn’t be right for us not to try and incorporate ‘restructuring’ when attempting a business turnaround definition. The restructuring process is where a business converts a period of loss into one of profitability and success whilst stabilising its future. Therefore, when providing a definition for ‘business restructuring and turnaround’, we believe it is important to include the following:

Whether scenario planning or instigating measurable changes, the overarching principle with restructuring is to preserve, to the greatest extent possible, a company’s enterprise value whilst attempting to maximise returns to key creditors and minimise risks to all other stakeholders over a predetermined period of time.

The above takes into account ‘going concern’ value, protection of intellectual property and employee skillsets (talent) as they might be linked to other tangible or intangible assets – such that the viable business model is saved holistically. The concept being that the ‘whole’ is greater in value than the sum of it’s various parts and components.

Obviously, when utilising ‘restructuring and turnaround’ practices, we need to avoid rescuing business models that are not viable (for example, lacking in technological innovation for longer term survival). Such businesses are often described as ‘zombie’ companies and do not contribute to the economy. With the recent crises that have drastically impacted human behaviour and our economy (COVID-19, fires, floods, drought…), it is logical that this urgent need for businesses to be adaptive and agile will result in turnaround and restructuring becoming the new norm. Disruption has been suddenly and forcibly thrust upon the business community.

Corporate Turnaround has been defined as:

‘The implementation of a set of actions required to save an organisation from business failure and return it to operational normality and financial solvency. Turnaround requires leadership and can include corporate restructuring and redundancies, an investigation of the root causes of failure, and long term plans to revitalise the organisation.’

BNET Business Dictionary

However, we much prefer our modernised definitions as they can be applied to sole traderships, as well as small and family businesses. Our definitions also fit closely with the fundamental concept and intended purpose of the ‘insolvency safe harbour‘ protection for directors from insolvent trading personal liability (s588GA – see our ‘safe harbour definition‘) – which provides breathing space for leaders (debtor in possession style) to take charge of the restructuring and turnaround strategies provided it results in a ‘better outcome’ for the company (creditors and/or shareholders).

Get in touch to learn more or discuss in further detail. Our objective is to rescue the value in small and family businesses.

Eddie Griffith https://tinyurl.com/3dctfnt8

Why Turnaround?

If your company or business unit is underperforming consistently and losing money, you likely need a turnaround project. That situation erodes cash flow and damage return on capital importantly. If this bad situation continues during the time, the company moves to insolvency. So urgent action must be taken. Turnaround project must be launched.

Corporate life cycle



Time for Turnaround

In economy we can talk about recession when continued decline in economic activity for two or more consecutive quarters. In the micro-economy world, I mean in the companies’ world the timing used to be different. Usually the review process in companies is yearly, and because management teams used to have a second opportunity, two years with losses could be considered a decline that needs a turnaround. Obviously if the losses are important, time is reducing.

Ideally, the turnaround process must start not too late in the decline phase in order not to allow deteriorating too much the situation. Although in many cases that decision is delayed until many quarters of losses, what will likely erode importantly the cash situation of the firm.

Someone could ask how we know that we are not to late in the decline phase. Well, this question does not have an easy answer. In reality the committee in charge of the turnaround decision must use their experience and intuition to realize soon that the firm needs a crisis management, and that those problems are not going to be solved for the current management team at least without the support of a turnaround team.

It is important to highlight that a turnaround project could take between one and two years. So we must not delay too much the turnaround decision, or it could be too late to recover the situation.

Many times CEOs used to protect their management responsibility delaying turnaround with different “strategies”:

Arguing that is a conjectural stage

Arguing that is a marketplace situation

Using “accounting engineering” to cover the problem during some while

Recognizing that a company has important problems is complex because that means that we have to realize that we are doing business in the wrong marketplace and/or time, or we have the wrong people managing that market. So there is a responsible, that took the decision to entry in that market or that choose the current management team. Many decision makers do not want to recognize the problem because means recognizing the responsibility. So they used to wait some time with the hope that “something” is going to happen that change the current bad performance. We have mention that “something is going to happen” because people that create problems do not use to know how to solve those problems.

In many companies bad performance in some quarters is not so “significant”, and they wait until the end of the year in order to review the situation. Be aware that in many cases companies offer a second opportunity to the current management team. This means that because the review process is a yearly basis rather than a semester or quarterly basis that situation could be deteriorated even more, if the current managing team is not able to recover the situation.

Where Should We Start in Turnaround? The “Bunker” Concept

We could simplify the causes of decline to three: poor management, inadequate financial control, and incorrect sales approach. If the decline cause is clearly restricted to finance or sales, we must start in turnaround for that area. Although we must be aware that sometimes the initial decline cause identified is incorrect, because we would realize that there are more than one cause of decline (many times turnaround situations are much worse than expected initially). However, the commonest cause of decline is poor management, in that situation is more complex to decide where we should start.

Turnaround in poor management situations could be approached trying to solve problems in many areas of the firm at the same time, or we could much more focus on one main area creating a “bunker department” as Keith Wiedersheim called. A “bunker department” is a company department that we are restructuring faster because we are allocating more turnaround resources  (oversizing) than in other areas of the company to prioritize turnaround speed of that area. The idea of creating a “bunker department” is eliminating the poor management practices in that department, and this one must influence positively to the rest of the organization. That area would act as a change management catalyst into the firm.

One of the first things to do with the chosen “bunker department” facing poor management practices must be to review processes. Because processes are cross functional, the “bunker department” processes are connecting with other areas of the firm which are going to be reviewed indirectly. So the concept is starting the turnaround from one main department and using the connections of processes with other areas to expand turnaround activities to the rest of the company.

Turnaround "Bunker Department" Approach


So if we agree to use the “bunker approach,” we must decide what it is the department in which we are creating the “bunker.” I suggest using supply chain or finance as a “bunker department” because those areas have strong links with the rest parts of the firm. Furthermore, those departments have the financial and operational control of the firm. Thus, any poor management practice in the company is likely being detected for those areas. However, turnaround people use to create bunkers in their areas of expertise. E.g. people with financial background create the “bunker” in the financial department.

A Framework to Asses and Monitor Turnaround Processes

There are two frameworks focus on the theory that a company to perform properly need to be aligned in some important hard and soft elements.

The “Star Model” was created by Jay Galbraith in the 1960s. This framework remains important to create the foundation for companies design choices. Thus, this model identified five main design choices: strategy, structure, process, reward and people. The model is based on that design will affect employees’ behavior that will finally influence in the company culture and performance.

The “Mckinsey 7S Framework” was developed by Robert H. Waterman and Tom Perters in the 1970s. This quite similar and still actual framework has 3 hard elements (strategy, structure, and systems) and 4 soft elements (shared values, skills, style, and staff).

The utility of “Star Model” and “7S Framework” for turnaround

Those frameworks help us not to forget any important element in the firm.

In restructuring any time we are conscientious affecting some of those elements, and the model is going to remember us that any change in one of the elements must be aligned with the rest of the elements.

Turnaround process use change management initiatives continuously and these models consider soft factor too.

So our recommendation is using the best of both models, we mean using all the factors suggested for both models. So “Star Model” compared with the “7S Framework” incorporates the reward factor and performance. On the other hand, “7S Framework” incorporates shared values, separate people in two factors (staff and skills), and shows systems (culture) like a new factor rather than a consequence of the factors.

The turnaround framework

Adapted from "Star Model" (Jay Galbraith) and "7S Framework" (Robert H. Waterman and Tom Perters)

  • Strategy: What is the formula for success? How do we differentiate ourselves from our competitors? What are the organizational drivers?
  • Structure: How are we organized? What are the key roles? How is the work managed? Who has power and authority?
  • System/Processes: How are decisions made? How does work flow between roles? What are the mechanisms for collaboration?
  • Performance: How are we doing? Why?
  • Rewards: How is behavior shaped by the goals? How do we assess progress?
  • Share values: What types of issues do the receive the least and most of the management attention?
  • Style/Culture: How does top management make decisions? How do managers spend their time?
  • Staff: How do we recruit and develop our talent?
  • Skills: What is the company or team known for doing well?

Prerequisites for Change and Success

I am sure that many people have any time questioned themselves “Why do we fail in a project?” With the simple but powerful framework regarding the prerequisite for Change (elaborated by HP), you can easily answer that question. Moreover, even you can plan in advance any project in order to know if the prerequisites to success are in play or not. For example, a project without enough resources is going to produce frustration, and likely fail. So before getting fully on board on that project we should be sure that enough resources are going to be provided.



Source: HP way, Barry Newland “The four prerequisites for change”

System thinking teaches us that focusing on a few leverages points, we are able to create a big impact in our organization faster. The different between leverage points and other improvement initiatives is that leverage points attack problem root causes rather than problem symptoms.

Turnaround need to attack urgently the main problems and that means finding the leverage points quickly. But many managers fail to identify the right leverage points because they use a silo functional view (sales, manufacturing, etc.,) of the problems rather than a system/company view. For example, it is very common finding companies in which the sales department is focusing on maintain some overstock to satisfy “unpredictable” sales demand; manufacturing is creating overproduction in order to optimize production resources; and so on when other system solutions like lean manufacturing could improve much more the company results without overusing stock strategy.

There is a classification about the improvement phases in a firm according to the degree of development of internal and external processes.

The Improvements Phases in a Firm



This classification has been widely used (Gartner, PRTM, SCOR, APICS, and so on) but most of the time the improvements have been related to the IT status of the organization, and now we are trying to briefly analyze that classification from turnaround, supply chain, and change management perspective using meetings tool to optimize communication, planning, synchronization, and execution.

Turnaround: The commonest cause of turnaround is poor management, so in this post we are focusing just in that particular cause. Multiple dysfunctions phase shows the poor management situation in which the company uses a very optimistic forecast; it has a huge overstock “just in case”; processes are not properly supported by IT systems and many activities are performed manually; staff is poorly trained and supported by managers/directors; purchases do not always follow the approval process; nobody (no sales neither finance department) is in charge of receivables accounts; etc. Therefore, we have mentioned many problems that turnaround teams can approach in the Weekly Improvement Functional Meetings.

Supply Chain integration: When we are talking about integration, we are talking about creating high performance teams. For that integration we suggest to build an ecosystem of teams (for example one team for each business unit) with cross-functional members that have weekly meetings to share integrated goals, responsibilities, and philosophy (lean approach, make-to-order, and so on) in order to get a successful and modern supply chain (lean, responsive, profitable and high quality). Moreover, we should not forget that nowadays “no business is an island” so the extended enterprise concept is the external integration priority.

Change Management: We are accelerating the improvements of the four phases almost simultaneously, creating four levels of meetings that work in parallel to identify improvement initiatives. Meetings are helping to share objectives and information, synchronize activities, and generate common action plan. It is important to highlight a couple of things regarding meetings. First, we are talking about productive meetings. I mean those meetings must be as short as possible (aprox. 30 minutes), with a well-defined agenda, and results must be monitored. Second, in order to produce turnaround results quickly, the periodicity of meetings must be weekly in most cases. Otherwise, we are losing several months just to align the teams or to execute the initiatives. Those meetings used to have the following results: staff ideas are listen by the company; communication and synchronization issues are managed; people proud of his job raise; people commitment with the organization rise too; and so on.

https://strategok.com/

воскресенье, 5 мая 2024 г.

Delta Model Strategy: New Strategic Inside to Define Our Company Direction and Improve Our Performance

 


Javier González Montané

I remember to trying sharing with a CEO and an academic person the advantages of using the Delta Model Strategy (Hax, Arnoldo C. and Wilde II, Deal L. “The Delta Model – a New Framework of Strategy.” Journal of Strategic Management Education, 2003) but it was very disappointed that those well-prepared people were not able to realize the contributions of this model to the strategy field and firms’ performance. Therefore, it is likely a good idea to summarize the Delta Model, and review a few pros and cons of this model.

Adapted from Arnoldo C. Hax and Deal L. Wilde II “The Delta Model – a New Framework of Strategy.” and Jay R. Galbraith "The Star Model"

Delta model strategy pros

  • Although the authors do not mention the Star Model of Jay R. Galbraith, we can see that the general framework that they called “The Delta Model’s Winning Formula” fits “almost exactly” in the well-known Star Model. This is a good point because the “simplicity” of this model make much easier the complex task of strategy communication and execution.
  • The approach to integrate Porter’s Competitive Position Model (focus on industry and the external environment) and Gary Hamel and and C.K. Prahalad Resource-Based View of the Firm (focus on the firm, internal approach), which can be complementary models although it does not fit 100%.
  • Most of the strategic models assume the importance of Mr. Customer. However, the Delta Model explicit mention that everything starts with Mr. Customer. This explicit mention makes a huge different, because many firms forget the importance of Customers in many decisions. Furthermore, this explicit mention of Mr. Customer is probably one of the most important steps to walk in the direction of creating a real Customer Centric Organization.
  • The model approach three of the main business issues in the last years. The commodization of products and services, the scarcity of demand (Customer Targeting), and the misalignment between strategy formulation and strategy execution.
  • There was a couple of very well developed positioning models (Treacy, Michael and Wiersema, Fred. “Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines.” Harvard Business Review, January-February 1993. – Hagel III, John and Singer, Marc. “Unbundling the Corporation.” Harvard Business Review, March-April 1999.) However, the Delta Model expands and improves the previous models.
  • Many organizations assume that the main focus to grow on the Total Customer Solution strategic option is focusing on large accounts. Nevertheless, the Delta Model says something different from traditional wisdom, this model mentions that many of the large companies think that they are self-sufficient and therefore they do not need us except for access to products. If this is the case in your industry (e.g. logistics service providers), the focus should move on medium firms. At least, that could be an opportunity for medium firms trying to compete profitably with large multinational focus on large accounts.
  • This model shows the Lock-in System strategy. That strategy is not just used for IT firms like Apple. There are other large firms in different industries that try to pursuit that strategy via acquisitions, creating economies of scale, and building a strategic position of “one stop shop” that offers a complete product/service portfolio in all the geographies.

Delta model strategy cons

  • The model promotes correctly from my personal point of view the networked firm, I mean nowadays “no business is an island” but at the same time the model promotes the System Lock-In positioning that isolates the company. For instance, Apple lock-in strategy does not leave any space for other hardware and software firms.
  • The delta model is based on cooperation rather than on competition and rivalry. Nevertheless, the most desirable positioning is System Lock-In and my question would be: what can create more competition and rivalry that trying to Lock-In the System.
  • They suggest that the most desirable strategy is Lock-in the system, and they focus on the advantages of this strategy but they do not cover “properly” the so high risks of following that strategy. We have just to see the consequence of following a Locking-In strategy in companies like Nokia or Blackberry trying to lock-in the system rather than cooperating with other players like Google (using Android system). Additionally, we should wonder ourselves the following questions: are customers happier with firms Lock-in the system? That strategy means that customers cannot change the supplier easy, and they are going to pay an over price because their exit barriers are very high. So the next question would be: can a lock-in system strategy create a SUSTAINABLE competitive advantage if this strategy is much more focus on our company than on Mr. Customer?
  • The model begins very well segmenting the customer, but at the same time it “suggests” that large firms attract customers in all the positions. As Michael Porter would say try to be everything to all customers used to create confusion in the employees and customers even for many of the large firms.  Segmentation is so important because is the base to create trade-offs, and strategy is about trade-offs.
  • The only element of the Star Model that is omitted in the Delta Model is: People. But people are an essential element in a model that try to approach strategy not just from the formulation perspective rather than from formulation and execution point of view. Moreover, the Delta Model shows the importance of Balance Scorecard tools, therefore they should remark like this tool that the Innovation and Learning Perspective that it is very much focus on people issues are the rock stone of the tool. Finally, a strategic model that one of the main contributions is the focus on Mr. Customer and Customer Loyalty, it should likely approach people because as professor Luis Maria Huete stress to get Customer Loyalty, we need to develop Employee Loyalty.

At this point, someone could think that the model has many pros and cons. However, I would like to clarify that the contributions of the model are many and so important. The cons in reality are just personal suggestions that could expand and improve the extraordinary contribution to the strategy field of this breakthrough model.


https://tinyurl.com/3azsb87h

суббота, 4 мая 2024 г.

Core Principles of the Integrated Business Framework. 7. Distributed Leadership

 


RoundMap® adopts a forward-thinking stance towards leadership, endorsing a distributive model that juxtaposes traditional hierarchical structures. This paves the way for the distribution of decision-making responsibilities, fostering empowered and agile teams.

Embracing Distributed Leadership: Transformation Through Empowerment

The dawn of the information age brings with it complexity and dynamism that conventional hierarchical leadership structures can struggle to navigate effectively. The need for more fluent and adaptive leadership methods arises. One approach gaining significant traction is Distributed Leadership, a model emphasizing collaboration and decentralizing authority instead of sticking to rigid hierarchies. This model sees leadership as diffuse and spread across different organizational members based on expertise, not titles.

The DNA of Distributed Leadership

Distributed leadership breaks free from the convention where leadership is vested in a single authoritative individual or a top-tier executive team. Instead, it celebrates the idea that every team member, endowed with a unique assortment of skills, knowledge, and experience, can contribute to steering the organization. This innovative approach to leadership empowers individuals across all levels of the organization, nurturing a culture of shared responsibility, engagement, and ownership.

Pillars of Distributed Leadership

Embedded in the fabric of distributed leadership are several key principles:

  • Autonomy: Autonomy fosters an environment where employees feel they can take initiative and operate independently. In the distributed leadership model, empowered team members can wield their authority and tap into their unique skills to contribute remarkably to their organization’s growth and success.

  • The Power of Collaboration: Distributed leadership builds upon the concept of “distributed cognition,” suggesting that intelligence and understanding expand when we interact with people, tools, and routines. Thus, effective leadership practice becomes a concert of interactions among leaders, followers, and the context over time.

  • Flipping the Hierarchy: A significant departure from traditional models, distributed leadership presents an ‘inverted hierarchy.’ This inverted pyramid pushes power and influence out and down, fostering an accessible leadership ecosystem with formal and informal leaders interspersed across the organization.

  • Shared Decision-Making: In distributed leadership models, decision-making is a collective journey. It encourages all members to participate, facilitating a shared sense of ownership and responsibility, and cultivating a genuine democratized workplace.

  • Flexibility: Flexibility leads to versatility in a distributed leadership model. Adaptable leadership styles working symbiotically with the demands and nuances of different situations allow various individuals to emerge as leaders when their expertise meets the requirements (source).

The Distributed Leadership Advantage

By fostering a distributed leadership model, organizations stand to gain in multiple dimensions:


  • Increased Engagement: Since it empowers employees at all levels, distributed leadership increases engagement and commitment.

  • Boost in Innovation: With diverse individuals stepping into leadership roles, their unique perspectives can lead to innovative solutions and strategies.

  • Motivated Workforce: Emphasizing shared responsibility and collective success, this model can significantly enhance team morale and motivation.

  • Accommodating to Complexity: As organizations grow and become more complex, distributed leadership can accommodate that complexity by distributing decision-making and leadership responsibilities.

  • Resilience During Change: During periods of organizational change, a distributed leadership approach can help maintain stability and continuity by scattering authority throughout the organization.

Parting Thoughts

Distributed Leadership presents a paradigm shift in organizational stewardship, encouraging organizations to embrace adaptation, collaboration, and democratization as critical elements of success in today’s complex business landscape. Its principles serve as a guide for leaders to understand and navigate this transformative journey. By integrating this approach, businesses can foster a dynamic, empowered, and engaged community, equipped to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities of the modern world. In a world of distributed work, matching it with distributed leadership creates a symphony of productive harmony, leading organizations to new horizons.



https://tinyurl.com/36adkshj