The Good to Great Workshop

The bestselling book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins provides a guide for companies aiming to achieve sustained excellence.

Each principle emphasizes organizational leadership, strategy, and culture that collectively contribute to a company's transformation from good to great.

Here's a simple 3-step workshop you can do in only one morning, based on 3 of the main concepts discussed in the book:

1. The Hedgehog Concept: Great companies operate at the intersection of three circles: what they are deeply passionate about, what they can be the best in the world at, and what drives their economic engine. This concept helps companies focus on their core strengths.
2. Confront the Brutal Facts: Great companies confront the brutal facts of their current reality, no matter how difficult, while maintaining unwavering faith that they will prevail in the end (the Stockdale Paradox).
3. Culture of Discipline: Successful companies cultivate a culture of discipline where disciplined people engage in disciplined thought and take disciplined action. This approach ensures consistent execution of strategic decisions.

Let’s get into it…

Step 1: Understanding and Embracing the Hedgehog Concept

Objective: Identify and align with your organization's core strengths and unique value proposition.

Activity:

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Materials Needed: Whiteboard/flip chart, markers, sticky notes

Process:

1. Introduction (10 minutes): Briefly explain the Hedgehog Concept—an intersection of three circles: what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be the best in the world at, and what drives your economic engine.
2. Group Discussion (20 minutes): Divide participants into small groups. Ask each group to discuss and note down answers to the following:
   1. What are we deeply passionate about as an organization?
   2. What can we be the best in the world at?
   3. What drives our economic engine?
3. Sharing and Consolidation (20 minutes): Have each group share their insights. Write key points on the whiteboard or flip chart.
4. Synthesis (10 minutes): Facilitate a discussion to synthesize these insights into a unified Hedgehog Concept for the organization. Aim for consensus on the organization's core strengths and unique value proposition.

Step 2: Confront the Brutal Facts

Objective: Develop a clear understanding of the organisation's current realities and create a culture that embraces and addresses these realities.

Activity:

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Materials Needed: Whiteboard/flip chart, markers, sticky notes

Process:

1. Introduction (10 minutes): Explain the importance of confronting the brutal facts—recognizing the true state of the organization without sugarcoating or denial. Introduce the Stockdale Paradox: maintaining unwavering faith while confronting the most brutal facts of current reality.
2. Reality Check (20 minutes): Ask participants to brainstorm and list the organisation's current challenges and obstacles. Encourage honesty and openness.
3. Group Analysis (20 minutes): In small groups, analyze the listed challenges to determine:
   1. Which challenges are the most critical?
   2. What are the underlying causes of these challenges?
   3. How do these challenges impact our Hedgehog Concept?
4. Action Plan (10 minutes): Each group shares their findings and suggests actionable steps to address the most critical challenges. Consolidate these suggestions into a preliminary action plan.

Step 3: Cultivating a Culture of Discipline

Objective: Develop a disciplined approach to executing strategic decisions and maintaining a focus on key priorities.

Activity:

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Materials Needed: Whiteboard/flip chart, markers, sticky notes

Process:

1. Introduction (10 minutes): Explain the importance of a culture of discipline—where disciplined people engage in disciplined thought and take disciplined action. Emphasize the need for consistency and adherence to the Hedgehog Concept.
2. Identifying Priorities (20 minutes): Ask participants to list the organization's top strategic priorities. Discuss how these align with the Hedgehog Concept and the Brutal Facts identified in Step 2.
3. Action Framework (20 minutes): Develop a framework for disciplined action. This could include:
   1. Regular review meetings to track progress on priorities
   2. Clear accountability and ownership for each priority
   3. Metrics to measure success and areas for improvement
4. Implementation (10 minutes): Discuss how to implement this framework in the organisation's daily operations. Assign responsibilities for maintaining discipline and monitoring progress.

Conclusion

Wrap-Up (10 minutes):

• Facilitate a discussion on what the group thought were the key insights from each step.
• Highlight the importance of continuous reflection and alignment with the principles discussed.
• Encourage participants to commit to ongoing improvement and adherence to the insights from "Good to Great." What are we going to do next?

By following these steps, participants will understand the core principles from "Good to Great" and how to apply them to transform their organization.

Let me know if you use it. I love hearing about your experiences with our workshops.

Well, that’s it for today.

I hope you enjoyed it.