EON Blog

In his 2004 book titled Hoshin Kanri: Policy Deployment for Successful TQM, author Yoji Akao writes “The daily crush of events and quarterly bottom-line pressures do not take precedence over strategic plans; rather, these short-term activities are determined and managed by the plans themselves.” In that one sentence, Akao has concisely and eloquently articulated why it’s crucial for organizations to invest in a meaningful strategy deployment process. Too many organizations pay lip service to the concept of strategy deployment but their management approach and daily decision making reveal that they are highly reactive and subject to the so-called “tyranny of the now.”