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Jim Gitney is the CEO of Group50® Consulting. He saw that the main reasons strategies didn’t work were a lack of strategic alignment and agreement across organizations and bad technology and business processes. As a result, Jim made the Business Hierarchy of Needs®, which he has used successfully as a framework for designing and implementing strategies. The Business Hierarchy of Needs® is made up of three levels, and each level is carefully and thoroughly explained. The board of directors and the senior leadership team are mostly in charge of Level 1. It provides a foundation for strategy, analysis, and planning. Level 2, known as “Knowledge and Chart Management,” serves as a bridge between strategy and results. It involves fully engaging all stakeholders, including alignment, agreement, skills, and team optimization. Middle-level leaders are mainly responsible for this level. Level 3, which is about implementing the strategy, is mostly the job of project teams, individual contributors, vendors, and process owners. It includes the application of technology, business process re-engineering, and tools.
This book shows how the different levels are connected and depend on each other. Skipping Level 1 or starting in the middle could lead to anti-strategy. And the incomplete development of Level 2 can result in poor leadership and ineffective change management, making it difficult to achieve desired outcomes. The book covers talent optimization, succession planning, and hiring practices. It also emphasizes the significance of having a clear mission, a vision statement, and strong values. This book will teach you how to set your Most Important Goal (MIG), conduct Gap analysis, and explore the three levels. The book also talks in depth about how technology affects almost every part of the Business Hierarchy of Needs®.
The author’s introduction in the preface of the book was immensely helpful in providing readers with a clear idea of what to expect. It made it much easier to follow along with the content that followed. I like how the author took the time to explain complicated business terms that not all readers might know. Terms such as RPA, Pareto Chart, Six Sigma, etc., were new to me, but the author provided their full meanings. Additionally, the author provided external links to resources like graphics, worksheets, workshops, and assessments that can help support the book. The author’s investment in the development of the readers is truly admirable. The author also clearly outlines what is required of the company at each level and breaks down all the concepts into simple terms that are easy to understand and implement.
Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs® – Turning Strategy Into Results by Jim Gitney focuses on developing and implementing effective strategies. The strategies in this book take an integrated approach to get real results, focusing on how important it is for people and organizations to work together.
The author introduces the strategic planning methodology called “Where to Play” and “How to Win” as critical tools used in the book. The methodology is designed to make it easier for leadership teams to communicate strategies effectively to all members of the organization, regardless of their position or educational background. The benefit of using this methodology is that strategies built on this concept are straightforward to communicate and define the role of each stakeholder. The author used real-life stories and examples to make the book more relatable and easier to comprehend. It is common for business books to become tedious with excessive jargon, but the author avoided this by presenting the information in a clear and concise way. In fact, the author listened to his readers’ feedback and simplified the book’s content to make it more accessible. The author provides examples of companies that have successfully implemented these strategies, making it evident that the methodology can be effective in various contexts.
This book provides a wealth of information and knowledge, making it a valuable resource for organizations, entrepreneurs, and businesses of all types and sizes. I highly recommend this book to business owners, executives, and corporations, as it is incredibly informative and practical. After reading the book, you will clearly understand how to create and implement your unique Business Hierarchy of Needs®, which can significantly benefit your organization. There is nothing I disliked about the book, and it was exceptionally well edited. Hence, I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
Paul Falcone, Author, The Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Series (HarperCollins Leadership)
Strategy Realized—The Business Hierarchy of Needs® is an amazing contribution to the body of knowledge surrounding strategic leadership and effective business management. Jim Gitney’s approach to sharing leadership wisdom focuses on sharing relatable stories, providing case studies with name-brand companies, and presenting concrete examples that keep the content “real and relevant.” Strategy Realized maps out steps that are clear and unambiguous, which makes following its recommendations that much easier and practical. No MBAs or Ph.D.’s necessary for success with his book—simply an intense interest in increasing your business’s effectiveness and profitability and a healthy curiosity to learn from a master! Companies that use the Business Hierarchy of Needs® framework can expect significantly better stakeholder alignment, engagement and results.
Ramona Petersen – SVP Human Resources
Thank you for the privilege of reading “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs® – Turning Strategy Into Results”. It is quite good. I found it concise, well-written and very logical. It was an easy read, and I couldn’t put it down. I have identified many things I want to use in my business. I believe that I, and many others could implement this framework. I am excited about the possibilities with your approach to creating and implementing strategy as well as achieving much better stakeholder engagement.
Doug Downing – Chief Operating Officer
“I had the opportunity to pre-read Jim Gitney’s soon to be released book “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs®”. It was a very enjoyable read and one that anyone in business should consider. It spells out a proven effective approach to grow and improve any business regardless of industry. I have personally had the pleasure of working with Jim and have seen first-hand how these proven strategies transform businesses. It can be applied to companies from startups to Fortune 50. It is an essential tool in every businessperson’s toolbox. I would highly recommend not only reading this book but applying this approach as quickly as possible. You will not be disappointed.”
Chuck Sweet – University COO
Very nicely done. It’s challenging sometimes to keep topics relevant through a long career and dynamic changes. You have done this fabulously while incorporating current state as well (tech progression, DEI, Culture, etc.). The format is also amazing – succinct and clear. All the charts and data are current and relevant. I found the examples to be solid.
For those in the non-profit space, your presentation style is easily translated and your model fully applicable. I appreciate you cutting the lessons down to concise points as I have also found that to be an effective communication tool to leadership, so the topic doesn’t overwhelm due to the sheer magnitude of strategic plan development. I have to say, you have given away your secret sauce. What a pleasure it was to read!
BethAnn Roberts – Managing Partner BestWork USA
“Loved the MIG (Most Important Goal) concept, which is so much more difficult to get leaders to get to the ONE! This is a great resource guide, and I would gladly offer it to my clients.”
Bruce Dougan – CHRO/VP Human Resources
“Having worked with Global Fortune 50 Corporations and many smaller companies, it is easy to see who gets this right and who needs help. Jim’s book “Strategy Realized: The Business Hierarchy of Needs®” can serve as a “workbook” on how to consistently deliver strategic results.”
Claudio Miers – Managing Director, Pitcairn Partners
“My first comment is that, as someone read the book intently, this person would feel pretty confident to embrace the development and implementation of a business strategy on their own… Just following the recipe! Your work is thorough, meticulous, methodical, and is based in real world experiences. This makes it super valuable and reliable.”
Janet Boydell – Author of “You Aren’t the Person I Hired” and “A Hire Connection”
“I think your book and content is brilliant and will be greatly received. You succinctly identify typical issues that companies face, and you bring an outstanding process to assist them in achieving future success.”
Jim Shepherd – CEO Templar Global
Excellent read. I think this has legs and would be useful not only as a framework for executives working on their strategic plan but also as a framework for consultants to develop a prescriptive approach to strategy development and implementation. The Business Hierarchy of Needs® is a tool for providing a common ground to discuss gaps in a company’s strategic plan with their actual implementation and then utilizing that analysis to develop corrective actions to return to the correct path for achieving the MIG. This is the secret sauce in a successful strategic planning consulting project.
This book fills a need and provides a new way to analyze and improve a strategic planning imitative within an organization. It also provides a logical framework for developing a strategic plan from the start and is relevant in today’s market for all types of businesses.
Jessica Gitney – Director of Licensing
As the author’s daughter, I was at first skeptical about writing a review that someone might think was done for my dad. But, after finishing this book, I am compelled to write the following:
This book, which I now refer to as my workbook for success, is so well written it works for beginner entrepreneurs and veterans across a wide range of demographics. Jim’s MIG and tiered strategy to building a successful internal platform, is critical to a start up’s success. His evaluation on your current business is imperative to foster growth in a dynamic and continuously changing economic environment. I read through the book like I was being cheered on by a coach training me for success. It is full of years of wisdom and thought-provoking questions, ideas, strategies and observations from his wins and missteps over this career. I have already implemented many of the The Business Hierarchy of Needs® into my startup company and the middle market design company I work for. From understanding customer awareness to not being scared to take risks for success, this read is a value add at all levels!
