Viewpoint: The Art of Developing a Strategic Vision

Given the urgency of operational problems and the uncertainty of future ones, it is not surprising that busy executives are skeptical about the need to articulate a strategic vision. Developing clearly articulated visions is time consuming, and most executives are frustrated by the lack of impact on their own actions or the strategic direction of the company... read more

Strategies into Practice: Toyota and Decision Making

Increasingly senior executives need to make strategic decisions that are of higher quality and to make these decisions more quickly. Frequently, however, the decision process that they employ is biased, ineffective, and costly. The Decision Strategies International (DSI) model for decision making promotes a process that is more rigorous, as well as analogous to a manufacturing process that is predicated on the lean philosophy initially developed by Toyota... read more

Fresh Perspectives: YES, Elephants Can Dance…and Innovate!

Innovation has been a hot discussion topic in managerial circles lately. Business Week, The Economist, and other leading business publications have devoted much ink to the coverage of innovation stories, the sharing of “best practices,” and the identification of the “most innovative companies.” Governments and policy makers around the globe... read more

News from Within:

• DSI is moving again! After two years at our current location, DSI will be moving this upcoming May to a bigger office to support the continued growth of the company. Stay tuned for more information regarding our new office as we prepare for this transition.
  
  
• John Austin has recently joined DSI’s Executive Development Team. John brings expertise in change implementation and team leadership. He’s held faculty positions at Penn State University and the University of Washington. John has a BA in Economics from the Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in Management from Boston College. Nicole Adams also recently joined DSI as a Senior Consultant. Prior to attending Columbia University for her MBA studies, Nicole was a consultant for Monitor Company in Boston, Hong Kong, and Istanbul. After obtaining her MBA, Nicole became one of the founding members and executive managers at Wireless Generation, an education technology company based on New York. Nicole also holds a BA in Psychology and French from the University of Michigan.
  
  
• Patti Owens has been named one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business 2008 by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community & Economic Development and the business journals of Pennsylvania. This award honors dynamic and aspiring women who have been making strides and tracks in their field. They look for candidates who share a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and the community-women who are shaping the economic future of Pennsylvania.
  
  
• Paul J.H. Schoemaker's article on "Deliberate Mistakes" and DSI were mentioned in the New York Times in November. Together with some interview remarks, the article highlights the importance of making such mistakes.
  
  
• The ThomasGroup interviewed Paul J.H. Schoemaker for their winter issue of Knowledge Leadership, which offers resources including interviews from prominent knowledge leaders and brief reviews of influential business books. Obtain a copy to learn more about Paul's insights on "The Importance of 'Insignificant' Details."
  
  
• Scott Snyder recently spoke at an Economist conference located at the 21 Club in New York City. The topic of the night was "Business Risk 2018: Planning for an uncertain future" where, as one of the speakers, Dr. Snyder focused on Strategic Risk Management.