General

How to Execute Strategy Legendary boxer Mike Tyson once quipped that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.  While this statement was made in the context of an upcoming professional boxing match, it also fits well when talking about businesses and strategy. Most businesses create some version of a strategic plan. The strategic plan reflects management’s assessment of the future and how the business will reach that future point. When developing a strategy, it is common to hear words and phrases such as “stretch goals”, “growth”, and “impact”.  You will never find a strategy that says, “we are going to get hit by a bus tomorrow”.  Strategies are inspiring and aspirational, and this is a key benefit of developing and communicating a strategy within your organization. Still, many businesses struggle to consistently execute the strategy. To paraphrase Mr. Tyson, the business gets punched in the mouth. The business loses a key employee. A shortage of a key [...]

We are well into a chaotic 2022 and business challenges show no signs of abating. At XPECT, we are focused on supporting our business clients and continuing to help them resolve business issues, operate more effectively, and make sound business decisions. While the work we do and services we provide represent the primary way we support our clients, we also have been working hard behind the scenes to develop our service offerings and enhance our client service experience. We relaunched our website last November to clarify our message and provide updated descriptions of our service offerings. At the beginning of this year, XPECT took a step back and recalibrated our strategy and vision. One outcome of this process was a clarification of the XPECT Why. XPECT exists to have a positive impact, to pursue professional excellence, and to support client success one client at a time. We think this is clear and simple and will be a guiding light [...]

A small or medium-sized business (SME) faces unique challenges in trying to both sustain the business and grow. This reality is often expressed in a small business when, for example, we say the business owner “wears many different hats.”  It is not, however, simply the owner who wears many hats. In an SME, the entire leadership team is frequently asked to “wear multiple hats.”  This is necessary if the business is to meaningfully pursue new strategic objectives and grow over the long term. One thing, however, must be a constant for an SME. The business must be excellent in its core operations. This requires good business fundamentals and is the equivalent of tackling, blocking, and running routes in football. No football team ever had a good season if they did not play good fundamental football. XPECT exists to help SMEs excel in the fundamentals and to alleviate the pressure on employees from having to wear multiple hats. Whether it [...]