Perfect Biz Match

Home PERFECT BIZ MATCH is a road map to help managers navigate in today's complex and challenging business environment and steer their organizations on a path to success. Assessment Take just a few minutes to fill out the assessment by clicking on the button below. You'll learn much about your organization, your market, how well they fit together, and what steps you can take to improve your prospects for profitable growth. This free 40-question assessment has been validated by academicians and business leaders in all kinds of industries; and this assessment is the cornerstone of all the products and services offered by The Jack Tesmer Institute. When taking the assessment, feel free to take the perspective of either your entire organization or that of a division or department within a larger company. About Perfect Biz Match is an assessment based on the Market Archetypes model. It identifies your position among the four market archetypes, and also a cultural position that your organization assumes as it does its work in that market. Besides a synopsis of FREE Perfect Biz Match, you can learn about the many offerings of The Jack Tesmer Institute, and see profiles of its principals, corporate partners, and associates Book This groundbreaking work identifies these diverse market environments, acknowledges and describes their differences, and analyzes what specific attributes an organization needs to be successful in each. Described also are the four types of organizations:Ruler, Warrior, Hunter and Pioneer. This book helps identify an organization's current culture, analyze its current market, and develop a new and more effective alignment, either by encouraging organizational change or by promoting a shift to a different market environment. An essential work for top corporate executives, any manager or entrepreneur will also appreciate the frameworks developed to help them make sense of the complexities and difficulties inherent in today's market. Contact Perfect Biz Match contact information. Privacy Policy PerfectBizMatch.com Privacy PolicyPBM BlogManaging your People AssetCreating an environment where people can thrive in their jobs is becoming a lost art. Managers in all types and sizes of businesses are becoming less capable of dealing effectively with one of their key assets (if not their most key)---"people".Networking to Build RelationshipsThe term, "networking," has become overused and misunderstood. People talk of "networking" as going to a meeting and exchanging business cards or of participating in business organizations, etc.Executive DevelopmentCompetence is less important in a business executive than listening and other communications skills, according to a survey for training and development.PBM in an MBA ClassroomIn different MBA classes over the past few years I have used Jack Tesmer's Perfect Biz Match assessment to bridge the gap between the academic and business worlds.Government Motors in a Jungle Market?Given their new owners, can Chrysler and GM transform themselves into Hunter organizations, embracing the culture of customer service and flexibility needed to succeed in today's domestic Jungle auto market? Or might these companies' new Ruler owners be able to transform, through various legislative mandates, the U.S. auto market into the kind of Kingdom market that they can rule?How Entrepreneurial is Your Firm?Published this year in the International Journal of Business and Management is a most timely look at "How Entrepreneurial Firms Prosper while Larger Firms Crumble" . . . especially during these trying economic times.Is it Time to Sell my Company or Not?How many times have we asked ourselves that question? Many years ago I heard a gentleman say, "There are two times to sell your company: (1) when you want to, and (2) when you have to."Letter to Battleground Company CEOIn order for a company to operate effectively in this segment of the marketplace, it must be able to deliver its products at the lowest possible cost. That is, it must be streamlined, lean, automated and have a very flat organization. Redesigning Organizations for Market ChangesSimultaneously management began to realize that cost/profit ratios were becoming more and more negative. The labor cost percentage was growing as they were able to charge less for services and fewer services were needed. It was a new world. The old organizational ideas were no longer valid, not because they were intrinsically wrong, but because the company was now in a new market.Designing your Organizational Ship to Manage ChangeManaging organizations in today’s markets can be likened to sailing a ship under conditions that are as different as the winds and weather that captains encounter. Organizations and ships both need to be fashioned to work optimally under different kinds of conditions. Do you need a schooner, brigantine, cutter, or sloop, for example, to navigate optimally through the changing waters and winds of your market?Adjusting Your Leadership Style to Your MarketNo doubt each of us has reported to different type of bosses: ruling Chiefs, controlling Commanders, orchestrating team Coordinators, and rah-rah Cheerleaders. Which one is best? Perhaps surprisingly, not any one style is always preferred.Am I Terminally Unique?And by the way, what the heck does that mean? After all, I am a business owner who really knows my stuff.Kingdom to Jungle Product Life CycleWe just finished doing some work with a commercial property management company that specializes in developing, leasing and managing suburban shopping centers. They have been in business for over 70 years and three generations.Health Insurance 101Demographics and economics are on a collision course in time, accelerating this year because of the spending spree taking place in Washington, D.C. Over the next several years, it's likely that no economic issue will affect businesses in all industries – both large and small – more significantly than reforms to our national system of delivering health insurance through employer-purchased group plans.The Law of Marketing LeadershipThe basic issue in marketing is creating a category you can be first in. The law of leadership: It's better to be first than it is to be better. It's much easier to get into the mind first than to try to convince someone you have a better product than the one who did get there first.Corporate Culture? Look on the WallsWhat's on the walls of your firm? What message are you sending to prospective employees? Is it consistent with your leadership style? Does it match the market in which you're competing?Am I Attracting the Right Sales People?I often hear from business owners that they really don't feel they have the right people in the right places, and that they need to evaluate job applicants more effectively. I am convinced that part of this problem stems from the fact that they have not identified the market in which they compete.Your Most Dangerous CompetitorRecently two owners of a small family business completed together our free Perfect Biz Match assessment, and they were puzzled by the results. The assessment showed that although they were organized as Hunters, their answers to the assessment indicated that they believed they were in a Frontier market . . . clearly not a match.Whats Wrong with the Plan?Effective business-plan writing does not consist of saying, "With a couple of beers and an Excel spreadsheet, we can make a lot of money in no time." Dynamic Markets - Shorter Product Life CycleIn 1998, Gary Culliss was a brilliant Harvard Law School student who in his spare time developed a truly innovative popularity algorithm for use in Internet search engines.Match LEADERSHIP to the BIZArguably the most important factor in any entity's success is having that effective leadership. Major decisions on direction and strategy will determine initial and continued success or eventual failure.Economic Conditions Changing Market PositionAll businesses need to assess what the new economy is doing to their market positions, and how far to the right it is taking them. Margins are also being squeezed, which indicates more and more businesses are trying to make a living in the Jungle.Six Ps of MarketingSo if Product, Price, Place, and Promotion are the traditional Four P's of Marketing, what are the other two?Yearly Check-up for Small BusinessesFor the small business owner, a yearly check-up is a must, as emphasized in this article focused on the needs of clients of Small Business Development Centers.Networking to Build Relationships Part IIby TONY . . . The key to success is to start networking when you don't need anything . . . when there is no urgency.Lessons in the RecessionSomeone once said that we learn more from our problems than from our good times. Certainly that is true about those of us who are attempting to find a place on the competitive map that makes sense for our business ideas and vision.Making MBA Programs RelevantWhether MBA programs are offered in the evening to working professionals and/or on-line, it seems likely that the traditional functional silos of Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Management will continue to be supplanted by integrated case studies in courses that place a greater emphasis on Risk Management, Strategy, Leadership, Organizational Development, and Ethics.Targeting a Kingdom Niche in a Jungle Marketby DAVID . . . If you’re a small business owner in this most difficult economic environment, chances are pretty high that you’re in a Jungle. You feel that you’re losing control in an increasingly turbulent and unpredictable market with lots of competition, increasing customer demands, and declining profit margins.Product Life Cycle in the Insurance IndustryDo you think the insurance industry is becoming more lie the soft drink industry in terms of its market position?Networking to Build Relationships Part IIIWe never know when an opportunity or an idea is going to come our way just because we asked questions and listened to someone else's story.When the PEST Appears Daily What Do You Do?by STEVE . . . If we watch all of the changes that are appearing on the hoizon from Wahsington (Health Care, Cap and Trade, Financial bailouts, Auto takeovers, Stimulus #3), I think it is time to get serious about PEST.Shrinking Lines of Credit for Small Businessby JACK . . . Small businesses must rely on a heightened level of innovative thinking to survive. On the biz/match grid, the credit crunch is pushing the market position of most small businesses further to the right, into untenable territory.Mapping Market Strategies for Your Products and ServicesWhenever a small business spends three half-day sessions developing its unique JTI Quick Plan, the company's management team members are invariably impressed by the ability of a dynamic MAP to chart the potential profit margin and strategic directions for each of the firm's product or service lines.Organizing to Implement Your Market StrategiesNo single set of organizational dimensions is right for every company. What's right for you as a company is that which matches your market's demands. To modify slightly an old axiom: "Those who fail to plan their plan's organizational-implementation requirements . . . are planning to fail."Perfect Biz Match Assessment Helps ConsultantI believe that the CEO has surrounded himself with people that tell him what he wants to hear. I also think that the market will offer a corrective dose of truth for him in the near futureA Contrarian Approach but Effective for Small BusinessesThe other day I had a discussion with an owner of an antique store in a small town in Wisconsin. I had noticed that several other antique stores had located next to the owner’s place. I asked him if there was a problem with all the competition.Networking to Build Relationships Part IVPrevious posts in this series have focused on the face-to-face approach to building strong relationships. But what if you truly don’t have the time or simply are not very good at meeting people one-on-one? The Internet and e-mail have solved this issue for youWebinars for DevelopmentDeveloping new skills demanded by new market positions requires using the available resources on the internet. One of these is the webinar, which is becoming more readily available as a flexible tool to assist managers in acquiring and practicing needed competencies.Health Care Reform Effects on Small BusinessOnce upon a time in my lifetime there was fragmented competition for health care. Holding a little black bag, our family physician would come to our house to give me a shot of penicillin, and my parents would pay her the going rate of $12. Patient and doctor. No one in the middle.If You are a Consultant How Do You Generate New Leads?Consultants everywhere have an ongoing difficulty finding new business from either new or existing clients. This issue has been around since the beginning of time. Unless you have a very successful brand that generates new business by itself, this problem will be with you continuously.My WorkMy work is a constant discovery and rediscovery of what I care about. My work is listening, learning, loving, giving. Only this.Networking to Build Relationships Part VI strongly encourage people that I meet to make sure that they are doing things to let people inside their organizations know who they are and that they are open to conversation, collaboration, advice, friendship, etc.Getting Control of the Social MediaMaking sense of an ever increasing barrage of websites and platforms to bring information your way will be the next innovation.Networking to Build Relationships Part VIPeople ask all the time. How do I get started? Here are my suggestions:Whats Your Strategic Fitness Plan?Why do some companies succeed in consistently outperforming their competitors? How might the 4 + 2 formula help your firm?An Innovative Organizational Response to the Downturn by Cisco SystemsCisco Systems began its life in the Frontier with the invention of one IT system after another. As it grew it tended to dominate markets and became a Ruler organization in a Kingdom market.Golfing in the KingdomI recently had the privilege of traveling to Scotland to play the St Andrews golf course, the birthplace of golf. It was certainly a thrill to walk the hallowed ground of the most famous golf course in the world.Assessments? Bah Humbug Who needs them?Those who most need help are often those least likely to ask for it. Data are beginning to come in that verify our experience. Few companies match their organization’s position with that of their and market.Prenuptials Handle with CareMaintain control of your business while living up to “what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is yours.” Among the stickiest questions that come up in the context of family-owned businesses are prenuptial agreements.Perfect Biz Match builds on Boston Consulting Group MatrixAs a professor of strategic management, for years I was comfortable using the familiar Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix. It allows a company to evaluate its various product or service lines along two dimensions: business growth rate and market share.The Synergy of Sales Management and LeadershipAlthough sales management and leadership are undoubtedly two separate functions, doing one without constant reference and deference to the other results in an organizational vehicle that’s either careening out of control or stuck at an eternal stoplight.To Increase Innovation Some Widely Held Beliefs About Motivation Need to GoBe prepared to be asked to debunk much of what you have come to know as effective in motivating people to innovate creatively, certainly in today’s difficult economic environment, and perhaps in the future as well.Networking to Build Relationships Part VIIAs you go about building and nurturing relationships over the years, new job opportunities are some of the many benefits that will most certainly come your way.Understanding Market Position is CriticalBeing open to understanding how you’re viewed in the market is the all important first step to achieving ultimate and optimum success as a business.Why SWOT?Are you being challenged by the changing landscape of your marketplace? Can't figure out what is wrong or what to do?FAQs about Perfect Biz Match Assessment ResultsAs the number of business leaders who take a free Perfect Biz Match assessment rises, we are receiving and answering more and more of the same types of questions.The Future of the Web and Its Implications for EntrepreneursA recent article in Forbes outlines a formidable future to contemplate for entrepreneurs attempting to develop markets for their products and services. We avoid knowing about these web-development advancements at our own peril.Irrefutable Laws of LeadershipI found John Maxwell's "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" to be very profound, and every single one encourages thought and reflection. How many of us can be thought of as real leaders in terms of these laws?Networking to Build Relationships Part VIIII find it so interesting that most people are reluctant to introduce others to people that they know. Why might that be?Why Saturn Failed in a Battleground Auto MarketAfter more than two decades, millions of dollars, and the efforts of thousands of people, Saturn closed its doors as a complete failure. Why?Three New White Papers for ManagmentOur associate, Paul Pelkola, this week shared with us three new white papers of timely, practical, and valuable help to all executives, managers, and entrepreneurs. His papers are now available to all for free.An Advisory Board Can Benefit a Business OwnerIt is lonely at the top. We hear this kind of comment all the time from entrepreneurs and professional business managers who are running their businesses without the benefit of having advisors and confidants they trust.Rules for Virtual TeamsTeams that operate from a distance have some advantages and disadvantages in attempting to be productive. Is e- mail a positive or a negative?Where in Your Industry Value Chain are You?Many managers and small business owners who discover a mismatch find that they need to reconsider the definition of the dimensions of their market . . . and where they add perceived value.You Just Never KnowYou never know what the next connection’s going to be; so you’re always in a networking mode.How Often Do We Think About Innovation?If you listen to Harvey Mackay, he would say, "Not enough."Shoemaker in the KingdomHis prices are pretty high; sometimes the work is not done on time; he doesn’t take credit cards. He rules!Climate Change - An Opportunity for Many BusinessesWhether or not scientists are accurate about their climate predictions, business managers can view this as a great opportunity for innovation, expansion, and bottom-line growth. Avoiding the Commodity Trap of the BattlegroundSee the difference between the challenge of trying to compete with commodity products in an eroding-margin Battleground market . . and the opportunity available by offering innovative products in a developing Frontier market.The Downside of Being a Ruler Company in a KingdomFor the last ten years my favorite example of a company that was clearly in a Kingdom marketplace has been Microsoft. But now we get a view of how that Ruler's internal organizational culture has evolved into a one that manifests itself as a "clumsy, uncompetitive innovator."Managing 101 – the BasicsToday’s manager has abdicated his/her highest priority role: to create that workplace environment where people are highly productive.Managing 101 – the Basics Part 2How would you like your manager to work with you? What's important to you in the workplace? What makes you tick?Words to Live by in BusinessI ran across this quote by Charles Hampton Turner, a professor at the London School of Business.Managing 101 – the Basics Part 3It takes significant time and energy to really understand each individual direct report. This is all about building a relationship over time.Managing 101 - the Basics Part 4I think the most enduring, long-lasting result that any manager can achieve is to have people that he or she has mentored achieve success in their own rights.So What Do You Want to Do?One of the things I find most interesting is that many are reluctant to say that they really don't know what they want to do, even though it is the truth.Sales and Marketing - Two Different DisciplinesHow many times have you heard "sales" and "marketing" mentioned in the same breath, as if they go together like ham and eggs?MentoringToo often the mentoring process is done in a much too defined, formal way that doesn't lend itself to dealing with everyday issues that a professional will face as his/her career unfolds.Four Types of MarketsFour Market ArchetypesEach of today's organizations operates in one or more of these four distinctly different market environments: the kingdom, the battleground, the jungle, and the frontier.Some Real World ExamplesOne way to better understand these four market environments is to look at some companies that routinely do business in them.Market DynamicsEach of the four market environments requires its own organizational structure and set of behaviors. Furthermore, each must follow a unique strategic style if the company is to survive, succeed, and excel. In short, what will work for Coca-Cola will spell disaster for amazon.com, and vice versa. Product Evolution and Market FlowNo one product or industry remains in a single market environment forever. Like any other dynamic system, the market for any product or service is always in some flux. Product Life CyclesYet another crucial dynamic involves the life of each particular product or service. Each starts out in the frontier as something new to the world and, thus, more or less proprietary. As it becomes better known and more widely accepted, however, it turns slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) into a commodity. In other words, it has gone through the crucible of business consolidations that lead to low margins and high volume. These were essentially new products until the late 1980s, but are now commodity items with few differences between brands.Making the Right MatchIt has, I hope, become clear by now that in order to successfully market any product or service, a company must first identify which of the four market environments the product will be sold in. Then it needs to adapt (or create) a marketing strategy to suit that environment. Transforming a Kingdom MentalityAs little as two decades ago, a large number of American companies operated in kingdom environments. Most of those environments are gone, transformed into battlegrounds or jungles by the pressures of globalization, technology, increased efficiency, and the ever-increasing demands for improved quality and low prices. Organizational ArchetypesOrganizational FitnessIn nature, successful organisms - whether they're sharks, orchids, or impalas - are designed to survive and thrive in their particular environments. Paradoxically, however, the same characteristics that make a creature so successful in its natural environment also restrict its ability to survive elsewhere. A shark can't live even an hour on dry land; an orchid won't survive a single winter in Tennessee. The same principles hold true for businesses and markets. There needs to be a fit between the dynamics of an organization and the market environment in which it operates.Four Organizational Ways of LifeArchetypes are ways of describing the world, not limiting it. The four organizational archetypes presented here are not clear-cut categories into which all businesses neatly fit at all times. While many organizations are classic pioneers, or hunters, or rulers, others are better described as hybrids of two different archetypes. Still others closely fit one archetype in many ways, yet have a handful of elements of one or more of the others. The point here is not to put companies into pre-fabricated boxes and then provide black and white "solutions" for any organization that's been dumped into that box.  In fact, my purpose is quite the opposite: to provide you with a useful framework for examining your own organization and its market environment, so that you can devise your own unique answers based on the skills and information you'll acquire from Perfect Biz Match.Systems and BehaviorThe organizational pattern in each archetype is largely determined by two factors: its natural and appropriate organizational structure, and the nature of professional relationships among its leaders and employees.Culture and ValuesEach archetype requires a particular type of culture, which supports the organization and enables it to thrive (or at least survive and compete) in its market.Each Archetype Needs Its Own Type of LeaderTraditionally, people who write and talk about leadership have attempted to identify a set of qualities that typify effective leaders. By now I hope it has become clear that no one style of leadership can possibly be effective in all four organizational archetypes. Each archetype needs - in fact, demands - its own particular style of leadership. The Structure of LeadershipThere is yet another crucial aspect to matching leadership styles, organizational archetypes, and market environments: each archetype has its own ideal type of leadership structure. SnapshotsRulers in Kingdom MarketsThese organizations are designed to 1) deliver widely-desired products or services to customers; 2) generate ample profit; and 3) maintain dominance over their markets through innovation, acquisition of their competitors, and aggressive pricing practices.Warriors in Battleground MarketsThese organizations are designed to deliver commoditized products or services to very large numbers of customers while earning very limited profit margins. Warriors compete with a small number of well-known companies offering similar products or services.Hunters in Jungle MarketsThese organizations are designed to compete for a niche against many competitors whose products are highly sought-after. The market has not consolidated, though it may do so in the futurePioneers in Frontier MarketsThese organizations are designed to introduce new, significantly different products into existing markets, or to create an entirely new market around those products.Perfect Biz Match AssessmentA Key to the DescriptorsThe 40 questions in the Archetype Assessment are designed around four market descriptors and four organizational descriptors, which you will recognize from previous chapters.Your Most Important ChoicePerhaps you've already said to yourself "Wait a minute! What does this author mean by 'my organization'? Is he talking about the division I work for? The specific department in which I work? The company as a whole? The multinational Fortune 500 firm that own the company? Each of these operates quite differently. Which one can I legitimately call 'my organization'?" Critical questions - but not hard to answer.Taking the AssessmentConsider each question carefully. Don't try to hurry through. If at all possible, complete the assessment in private, when you're not feeling rushed, pressured, or distracted - and when you can focus on it 100%. You may choose to answer all the questions in a single sitting, or you may wish to ponder them for some time, confer with others, and/or come back to them, perhaps several times, until you feel you've answered them accurately. Normally the 40 questions take about half on hour to complete, but allow yourself 45 minutes, so you have time to review and reconsider your answers if you wish.AssessmentThis FREE 40-question assessment has been validated by academicians and business leaders in all kinds of industries.Organization Know ThyselfIdentifying the Nature of the MarketMarket environments vary according to: - intensity of competition - amount of turbulence - degrees of complexityExamining Your Organization’s DesignNow let's look more closely at your organization and its structure.Keys to Market MasteryMaking the ChoiceFor many years, managers would adopt the style of their leader and assume that the leader's knowledge and instincts about the market would be sufficient. Decisions were often reached intuitively, and results often derived more from what was not done than from what was done deliberately and strategically.The Force Behind the ChangeIf your score is 3 or more, an archetype change - that is, a change in either your organization's archetype or the market environment(s) in which it operates - is clearly indicated. The most common situation creating such a need for change is the movement of a product or service from one market environment to another.The 21st Century Shift in MarketsOver the last twenty years, globalization and technological changes have greatly accelerated the rate at which products and services typically move from one market environment to another. Organizations that used to operate in the same environment for decades now must face significant change - and very difficult choices - after only a few years, and sometimes after only a few months.Becoming a Hunter OrganizationGetting Pulled InYour company offers a product or product line that is experiencing significant competition for the first time. Slipping InYou are part of an industry that is no longer oriented primarily toward new products. Diving InYou are a startup company or business unit entering a contested environment. Being Pushed InYou are moving from a dominant position to a highly contested one with a particular product or product line. Forcing a Way Back InYou're attempting to move out of a commoditized battleground environment by changing the nature of your product(s), your methods or channels of distribution, or both.Becoming a Warrior OrganizationSurvive as One of the Winners from the JungleYour company merges with or acquires others in your industry, forming a larger organization with a more integrated line of products that have become commodities. You will eventually share the market with a few other large players, who are also consolidating to offer their products more efficiently.Drift into this Market from a Declining Kingdom After dominating the market for some time as the premier producer of a product in high demand, your company finds that the product has become a commodity and is now produced equally well by a handful of competitors.Becoming a Ruler OrganizationConquering and Leaving the FrontierYour new product has been a success in the frontier, and enjoys a patent, or some means of marketing or distribution, that no one else can duplicate.Escaping from the JungleAs the result of your successful manipulation of a product, product line, supply chain, and/or marketing channel, you pull away from all other competitors and achieve market domination. Taking Control of the BattlegroundThrough smart and aggressive marketing, you wrest the great majority of market share from the last few competitors in a battleground market. Or, alternatively, your company simply acquires some or all of the remaining significant players.Becoming a Pioneer OrganizationStarting an Entirely New OrganizationYou are an entrepreneur who has developed a new product or service. Either you've got some investors or partners or you're able to start up an organization of your own.Moving From the JungleOne of your organization's inventions or adaptations is so new and different that it has created a new business and has put you into a new market and/or distribution channel. From the BattlegroundAfter your organization's regular product or service lines have become commoditized, it develops a new product or service for which there is no already-developed market.From the KingdomThe innovation needed to maintain your organization's dominance in the market is so successful that - perhaps unexpectedly - you are poised to enter the frontier. Business Matching ProcessBuilding VersatilityLeading an organization through its evolutionary stages - and from one market environment to the next - is a little like voyaging to South America in a sailboat. Much is known about the journey, and a great deal can be planned for in advance. During the trip there are charts to follow, landmarks to watch for, and reliable methods to help you stay on course. Solid knowledge of your craft will help you to steer in the right direction, avoid potential dangers, and adjust your course as needed.Charting Your Organizational JourneyIt is possible to generalize about the key issues, general goals, and major difficulties that each of the four types of organizations most needs to grapple with. Here is a breakdown of what these look likeSteering Your Organization Through Turbulent WatersNo organization stays in one place on the archetype grid forever. It will be pulled in a variety of directions by both internal and external forces. Most organizations that enter the pioneer quadrant, for example, do not stay there very long—normally from a few months to a few years. The wise leader knows both where their organization is on the grid and in what direction it is moving. They can then take steps to influence that direction and/or to prepare the organization for the market situation it will soon encounter.Maintaining Organizational BalanceOrganizational zones indicate how well an organization is doing in its appropriate market environment, and reflect its current cultural and operational conditions.Two Journeys - A Product and an OrganizationThe chart below once again plots the journey that personal computers took through the four market archetypes. It also plots the journey that one particular PC manufacturer might have taken as its leaders responded to changes in the market:Managing the ChangeWhere Archetypes and Strategy MeetAny strategic planning in your organization should begin with a current assessment of its environment and culture - that is, with an up-to-date Organization/Market Profile. Indeed, the use of this profile necessarily pushes the issue of organizational culture to the forefront of strategic planning. (This profile can also be used to help shape more specific strategies on investment, acquisitions, new product development, and restructuring.)Using Archetypes in Strategic PlanningPerfect Biz Match has developed a six-step model for making best use of the Archetype Assessment in strategic planning and decision making. To use this model most effectively, the entire process should be driven by the leader of the organization and championed by all members of the leadership team.Getting the Best ResultsAs you work through the steps of the strategic planning process, keep the following considerations and guidelines in mind:Guidelines for Large-Scale ChangeSignificant change does not come easily. Most people, even those who believe things need to change, typically think that what needs to change is outside of their own area.Implications for Business LeadersCEOsThe CEO of an organization is responsible for its growth and development. They lead the strategic planning process and make sure that the resources needed to carry out any strategy are provided.Middle ManagersMiddle managers see to it that the work required by a business strategy actually gets done. They establish the mechanisms that integrate resources and develop the processes that do the work effectively and efficiently. They are also in charge of ensuring that people and resources get mobilized in the right ways at the right times.Staff ManagersStaff managers develop and operate the processes that support the core activity of an organization. These processes include finance, human resources, information systems, logistics, purchasing, marketing, communications, and so on. Collectively, these processes form an organization's infrastructure.MBA Students and ProgramsOrganizations throughout the world have come to rely on MBA programs to prepare people to perform important leadership roles. In fact, in many organizations today, an MBA degree is a requirement for anyone wishing to be considered for upper management. Coaches and ConsultantsThe business matching process can provide consultants, coaches, and managers with a shared language, a collective vision, and a common format for discovery. When I introduce the business matching process in my own consulting work, I have found that a clear mutual understanding quickly develops. In addition, the models and language of the business matching process naturally stimulate the exploration of options for organizational designs, cultures, and operations. Furthermore, the concepts of bBeginning the JourneyWhen your organization and its market are in proper alignment, there is a palpable feeling of rightness that flows through the entire system.IntroductionWhat is an Organizational ArchetypeOver my 15-year journey as a consultant and manager, I have developed a way to name and identify certain dominant and predictable patterns of behavior, both in markets and in organizations. I have adopted the word "archetype" to define each of these patterns.What You Will Find HereThe structure of this website closely follow the chapters of the book Your Perfect Business Match. Throughout you'll be introduced to the four different market environments that have emerged in the opening years of the 21st century, as well as to the organizational archetypes that can operate most profitably in each one.Perfect Business Match Book ReviewTesmer is blatantly honest in his book. "Take him out of that job!" That is part of what I liked about the book. It is honest, practical and offers a new way to look at organizational structure.HoldAnimationTest