Encore Charting a Path to Your North Star via Strategy Execution

This encore of Episode 1 of the North Star establishes the show's purpose, basic themes and range of topics to be covered. Host William Ulrich will discuss the suboptimal strategy execution track record that organizations share across the private and public sector, consider the root causes of these execution performance issues and lay the groundwork for optimizing strategy execution. He will share his experiences and lessons learned over the course of his 40-plus year career that has shifted his thinking from a technology-first to a business-first and customer-first perspective. William will also provide insights into why the success or failure of a given strategy can be predetermined well before programs and projects are established and corresponding investments are allocated. Two areas that he plans to explore include the lack of upfront problem diagnosis and holistic solution design, along with the tendency to execute strategies in splintered fragments that invariably create unworkable or unimplementable results. He will share a variety of real-world stories that are likely to leave you shaking your head, thinking how can these things be possible. Another topic he will address involves the penchant that business leaders often have for being drawn into major investments in shiny objects, where those shiny objects become a poor substitute for well-crafted business goals and objectives. Finally, William will provide an overview of upcoming topics and guests who will include thought leaders, researchers, authors and experts from a variety of business and technology disciplines.