Must-Win Battles: How to Win Them, Again and Again

MWB stands for "Must Win Battles," which is the title and a common acronym throughout this this book. Authors Peter Killing, Thomas Malnight and Tracey Keys use "battle" to refer to competitors and "must-win" to mean these battles must be won. There are a lot of circumstances applicable to the concept of 'battle.' Examples and case studies cover management style, team work, planning, shortlisting, and executing, are noted. One example is Unilever in Africa, Nestle China, and a two-year case study of the CFF business groups from the words of an executive. Three sections and nine chapters. Section I: Preparing the Journey Section II: Engaging the Team Section III: Making it Happen The different types of managers listed are the commander, diplomat, thinker, and motivator, who are defined and described. This is followed by the role of Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. EI is just as, and oft-times more vital than IQ. There are questions regarding this that the reader can answer for themselves so they can apply this concept to their own situations in life and in the work place. This book helps the manager and employees as individuals and allows them to reflect on others and themselves. Different dynamics of MWB, which often may include change. While strategically planning and implementing Must-Win Battles there are Resisters, Bystanders, and Supporters. A time-line is almost always necessary and matrices and diagrams are presented, when planning and executing. A good reality check is in chapter 4, which lists "Typical Company-Related Myths." Those who've worked in medium or large organizations can identity with the company values and slogans. But they're usually only slogans, because they aren't practiced. :) At the end of the book there are: A) The MWB Journey and Road map B) The Denison Survey: Questions C) Using the External Assistance This is helpful for all people who manage and work in organizations of all types and sizes.

In any organization, at any time, there are probably three to five key battles that must be won to achieve important goals, write authors Killing and Malnight. As you read this, you are probably thinking of the battles that are ongoing right now, the ones you need to win to get to your own goals. The first step, then is identifying what the key battles actually are and eliminating the sideshows that distract from the real issues. The authors advise that these battles are NOT internal, instead they are: Market-focused Something that makes a difference Creates excitement Are specific and tangible Are winnable (!) The example provided is one of Unilever, a large multinational company, working to gain market in Africa. But despite Unilever as an example, the strategy to pick your fight and win it is equally applicable to small business--if not more so. One point I really admire is that the authors recommend that emotion be considered along with reason in how to win those battles. In other words, instead of steamrolling over emotion, which is a statement of condition, like the weather, the authors recommend dealing with it and generating excitement by directing emotion. There is also good advice on "not shooting the messenger" or how to take bad news. As one top CEO remarked to the press on how he achieved success "First, you have to deal with reality." Excellent book and a must-read for business managers of any organization.

Q: What must be managed effectively to improve an organization's performance? A: "First, [managers must] identify and win the right battles....But to win the battles, many organizations need to create a more effective top team and build an organization that [is] .less silo-based and capable of focusing all of its energies and capabilities on the chosen battles." Q: What is a "must-win battle" (MWB)? A: "MWBs are the three to five key battles that your organization absolutely must win to achieve its key objectives." Q: What are the characteristics of a well-chosen MWB? A: It must "make a real difference, be market focused, create excitement, be specific and tangible [and measurable], and be winnable." Q: What is an "MWB journey"? A: It is simultaneously both an emotional and intellectual process which must be completed by everyone involved in order to transform their organization. Ultimate success will depend upon a "shared understanding of the challenges and options facing the organization, an agreed list of three to five MWBs, a committed [and competent] team for each MWB, a high-level action plan for each MWB, new [better] ways of working together, individual commitments, and an initiation assessment of the starting conditions for engaging the organization." Granted, this is an unorthodox way by which to begin a review but I really could not think of a better one. (No doubt someone else has.) The authors of this volume share what they have learned about why some organizational transformation initiatives succeed while most others fail. What they propose is a three-phase process (a "journey") which begins with a rigorous and thorough assessment of the current situation, followed by an engagement of the Team and then of teams for the MWBs, and then an engagement of the given organization which involves embedding the Team agenda and aligning the organization while maintaining momentum of the MWB initiatives. I especially appreciate the authors' provision of all manner of reader-friendly devices throughout their lively narrative. For example, check lists of key points, graphics (maps and figures) which illustrate step-by-step segments of the "journey," and - whenever appropriate - caveats and disclaimers which correctly remind the reader that no course of action (including the one which the authors recommend) "fits all." In the final chapter, they share eight "Lessons" learned from their research: five from successful MWB "journeys" and three from those which failed. In Appendix A, readers are provided with a comprehensive "MWB Journey Roadmap" and then in Appendix B, the authors provide "The Denison Survey: Questions" (copyright © by Daniel R. Rosen), a culture survey which is discussed on pages 47-48. Presumably the authors agree with me that it would be a fool's errand for anyone to read and re-read their book, then rush - or even stroll -- to implement everything in it. It would also be a fool's errand to cherry pick diverse (albe

Must-Win Battles explains that hoary strategic discipline: The top management meeting where a new direction is sent and then subsequently implemented. If you have never been through a good version of this process, Must-Win Battles will give you helpful templates for what to do . . . and what to be prepared for. The steps are broken down into a logical sequence: First you prepare (understand where your organization is now and appreciate how to lead such a process); then you engage with the rest of top management (open up their minds to gain a fuller view, focus on the 3-5 accomplishments that are most important, and gain a one-organization perspective); and finally you spread this out across the organization (sharing what you learned during the top management meeting, describing the new agenda, reporting on progress and celebrating victories). This process orientation is relieved by a hypothetical case study that gives the book a slight flair like a fable would provide. To me, however, the case study in chapter 8 from Unilever's ice cream unit in Europe was far more helpful. The book has three main weaknesses. First, the perspective is primarily that of someone facilitating a process (an outsider like a professor or consultant). Second, the book would have benefited from a lot more case studies and examples. I got pretty tired of the same one. Since it was hypothetical, I couldn't get too engaged in it. Third, the authors don't do much to connect the dots between their process and the excellent work of The Balanced Scorecard Collaborative (and the superb books, Strategy Maps, The Balanced Scorecard, Alignment and The Strategy-Focused Organization). But the book has a redeeming quality. The authors do a fine job of making the case for how to focus on just a few issues. In my experience with facilitating dozens of such sessions like they describe in this book, most management teams want to have lists of hundred of things to do. It's hard to get them to focus . . . and you run the risk of annoying people if you push too hard on that point. By distributing this book in advance of such programs, many consultants and facilitators will find their clients being more cooperative. Nice work!

You can stop here. This book's title tells the whole story. Must-win battles (MBWs) are those three to five challenges your organization must conquer to achieve its key objectives. For most organizations of any size, that is not much of a list. Arriving at it requires focus and prioritization. Someone's priorities will not make the cut. If you do not, your goals will suffer from inadequate resources and attention. To be successful, the authors, Peter Killing and Thomas Malnight, strategy professors at IMD, along with Tracey Keys, a consultant and manager with an expertise in complex strategy and organizational issues, believe strategy concepts must be combined with leadership and team building principles. Before achieving MBW status, an objective must meet: 1. Make a difference. 2. Be market-focused. 3. Create excitement. 4. Be specific 5. Be tangible. 6. Be winnable. Forsaking an academic approach, the authors argue MWBs must generate as much emotional energy and commitment as intellectual rigor. No two are the same. Yet each can be broken into two distinct phases: engaging the team and engaging the organization. Phase one, engaging the team, consists of three steps: 1. An assessment of the starting conditions. 2. A definition of the battles to be fought. 3. Then, a commitment to one agenda. Phase two, engaging the organization, motivates and marshals the organization. 1. Embed the agenda. 2. Engage the organization. 3. Maintain momentum while driving the last 10 per cent of your goal. The authors employ case studies to illustrate their method. By establishing an MWB culture in your organization, the authors argue, you will create a sustainable competitive advantage by responding to your immediate market challenges quickly and efficiently. By transforming the way in which your people work together, you will create a series of renewable competitive advantages in the market place.