What is it?

This practical, insight-driven workshop based on the book Good to Great helps teams clarify what they do best, face challenges with honesty, and build shared discipline—strengthening team alignment, confidence, and long-term effectiveness for every member involved.

Why is it useful?

This workshop helps teams cut through complexity, face reality with clarity, and build the focused discipline needed to move from good intentions to great results.

Objectives

• Identify and align with your organisation's core strengths and unique value proposition.
• Develop a clear understanding of the organisation's current realities and create a culture that embraces and addresses these realities.
• Develop a disciplined approach to executing strategic decisions and maintaining a focus on key priorities.

Resources Required

• Time: 3 hours
• Number of People: 6-20
• Flipcharts and markers
• Post-it notes
• Whiteboard or digital whiteboarding tool (if virtual)
• Timer

Process

Understanding the Hedgehog Concept (1 hour)

1. Introduction (10 minutes): Brief explanation of 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:
   • What are we deeply passionate about as an organisation?
   • What can we be the best in the world at?
   • What drives our economic engine?
3. Sharing and Consolidation (20 minutes): Each group shares their insights. Write key points on the whiteboard or flip chart.
4. Synthesis (10 minutes): Discussion to synthesise these insights into a unified Hedgehog Concept for the organisation. Aim for consensus on the organisation's core strengths and unique value proposition.

Confront the Brutal Facts (1 hour)

1. Introduction (10 minutes): Explain the importance of confronting the brutal facts—recognising the true state of the organisation 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, analyse the listed challenges to determine:
   • Which challenges are the most critical?
   • What are the underlying causes of these challenges?
   • 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.

Cultivating a Culture of Discipline (1 hour)

1. Introduction (10 minutes): Explain the importance of a culture of discipline— where disciplined people engage in disciplined thought and take disciplined action. Emphasise the need for consistency and adherence to the Hedgehog Concept.
2. Identifying Priorities (20 minutes): List the organisation'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:
   • Regular review meetings to track progress on priorities.
   • Clear accountability and ownership for each priority.
   • 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.

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

1. Discuss what the group thought were the key insights from each step.
2. Highlight the importance of continuous reflection and alignment with the principles discussed.
3. Commit to ongoing improvement and adherence to the insights from "Good to Great." What are we going to do next?