Acquisitive Growth – Workshop 1 (Business Assessment)
The Appleton Greene Corporate Training Program (CTP) for Acquisitive Growth is provided by Mr. Chicles Certified Learning Provider (CLP). Program Specifications: Monthly cost USD$2,500.00; Monthly Workshops 6 hours; Monthly Support 4 hours; Program Duration 24 months; Program orders subject to ongoing availability.
If you would like to view the Client Information Hub (CIH) for this program, please Click Here
Learning Provider Profile
Mr Chicles is an approved Certified Learning Provider (CLP) at Appleton Greene who is a business leader and strategist with broad experience in the global multi-industrial, aerospace and defense sectors. He is a seasoned operational leader of global industrial businesses, leading transformational strategies in highly competitive markets.
As a senior, C-suite strategist for multiple major industrial corporations he has led multiple mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and restructurings, as well as corporate break-ups and spin-offs. He has a distinguished track record of successful transformations of complex organizations in dynamic and uncertain market conditions while engendering the trust and buy-in of employees, customers, vendors, owners, corporate leadership and boards of directors.
A highly engaged leader at the personal and team level he has demonstrated the ability to engender effective senior teams and boards. He’s also an active mentor, teacher and community leader.
Mr Chicles is an active board member with AES Seals, global leader in sustainable reliability engineering, and Micro Technologies Inc, an electronics and advanced manufacturing company. He is a principal partner with ProOrbis Enterprises®, a management science consultancy with premier clients such as the US Navy and PwC, as well as the principal of Xiphos Associates™, a management and M&A advisory. Recently, he served as Board Director and Chairman of Global Business Development with Hydro Inc. the largest independent pump and flow systems engineering services provider in the world.
He was President of ITT’s Industrial Process / Goulds Pumps business segment a global manufacturer of industrial pumps, valves, monitoring and control systems, and aftermarket services for numerous industries with $1.2 billion in revenue, 3,500 employees and 34 facilities in 17 countries. Preceding this role he served as Executive Vice President of ITT Corporation overseeing the creation of a newly conceived ITT Inc. following the break-up of the former ITT Corporation to establish its strategy and corporate functions such as HR, communications, IT and M&A, building the capabilities, policies and organizations for each.
He joined ITT Corporation’s executive committee as its strategy chief in 2006 and instituted disciplined strategic planning processes and developed robust acquisition pipelines to respond to rapidly changing markets. Created successful spin-offs of 2 new public corporations Exelis Inc. and Xylem Inc. ITT Corporation was named one of “America’s Most Respected Corporations” by Forbes for exemplary management and performance during his tenure there.
Before joining ITT, Mr Chicles served as Vice President of Corporate Business Development and head of mergers and acquisitions for American Standard / Trane Companies, where he initiated and closed numerous transactions and equity restructurings globally.
Additionally, he created and led the corporate real estate function which entailed more than 275 real estate transactions around the world.
He began his career at Owens Corning rising through the ranks in various operational roles to Vice President of Corporate Development.
Recently, he taught advanced enterprise strategy at Stevens Institute of Technology as an adjunct professor and still supports start-ups through the Stevens Venture Center. He continues to be active as the Founding Board Member with several successful start-up technology businesses and non-profit organizations. A community leader, Mr Chicles has held the role of President of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tenafly, N.J., He also led trips abroad to Cambodia and Costa Rica to build sustainable clean-water solutions and affordable housing.
His formal education includes earning a Masters of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelors in Finance from Miami University.
MOST Analysis
Mission Statement
Assessments can be incredibly valuable tools for organizations of all sizes. A comprehensive assessment methodology can help you evaluate your organization across multiple dimensions. But what are business assessments, what do they entail, and what are the benefits? Business assessments can help you identify areas of improvement and potential acquisitive growth. By taking a comprehensive approach, you can get an accurate picture of your organization’s strengths and weaknesses. Assessments can also help you develop actionable plans to improve your business. At their core, business assessments are all about providing clarity. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the day-to-day details of running a business, it can be difficult to step back and get a clear picture of where your company is headed. That’s where assessments come in. By taking a comprehensive look at your company’s strengths and weaknesses, you can develop a clear road map for success. Assessments are an essential part of any business plan. By evaluating your company’s strengths and weaknesses, you can develop a roadmap for growth. Furthermore, assessments can help identify areas where your company may be at risk. By addressing these risks early on, you can avoid potential problems down the road. In addition, assessments can help you benchmark your company’s performance against others in your industry. This benchmarking process can give you valuable insights into areas where your company may need to improve. Ultimately, regular business assessments are a crucial tool for any organization that is looking to grow and thrive.
Objectives
01. Current State: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. Analysis Tools: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. Identify Stakeholders: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. Core Competencies: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Market Differentiation: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Mission/Vision Statement: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Mapping Future State: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. Set Department Objectives: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. Prioritizing Tasks : departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Set KPIs: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
11. Create a Project Schedule: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
12. Monitor Data over Time: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
Strategies
01. Current State: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. Analysis Tools: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Identify Stakeholders: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Core Competencies: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Market Differentiation: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Mission/Vision Statement: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Mapping Future State: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Set Department Objectives: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Prioritizing Tasks: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Set KPIs: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Create a Project Schedule: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Monitor Data over Time: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
Tasks
01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Current State.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Analysis Tools.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Identify Stakeholders.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Core Competencies.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Market Differentiation.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Mission/Vision Statement.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Mapping Future State.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Set Department Objectives.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Prioritizing Tasks.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Set KPIs.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Create a Project Schedule.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Monitor Data over Time.
Introduction
Referring to the original application and executive summary in the ‘Acquisitive Growth’ Client Information Hub, the first order of business is the “Strategy Development” phase. This is meant to be a self-assessment and evaluation of current strategic context and situation from which to determine if and where acquisitions fit and support a business’s aspirations. A very effective methodology that I may have shared with you prior is to use AJ Laffley’s book “Playing to Win” whereby a company assesses “Where they play” ( the products, markets and segments), “How the win” (the competitive differentiation and value proposition they offer), “Capabilities” (what combinations of people, process and technologies are required) and “Systems” (those foundational elements that a business stands on such as footprint, IT Systems, management systems, talent processes, etc.). By evaluating these elements, a company can then perform a gap analysis and create a strategy to get from current state to the future state they wish to achieve. For example, if a company was successful in the US making differentiated products for a certain set of endmarkets and wanted to grow, they would evaluate first if they could achieve their goals organically. If they cannot, then the likely reason would be a lack in one of these elements such as: a) Need to access new market segments or geographies, or b) need leverage their particular capabilities in new markets or develop new capabilities and so on.
It is through this work that a company focuses their acquisitive growth strategies to in essence fill the strategic gaps they have which practically cannot be filled organically. For example, if a US-Based industrial product company had developed a set of unique products and services that are winning in their existing markets, but found that as their share grows and the markets cycle they have challenges achieving sustainable growth. Suppose then through their strategy work that they identify a new geography/market where they would be able to take their competitive advantage and grow a whole new area of revenues. This methodology or approach would help them Identify this opportunity and to focus on what they need to acquire – new products, channels to market, brand recognition, technical capabilities, etc. In this example, it might be to acquire a similar business into which they instill their capabilities. Or it might be a matter of just acquiring distribution channels that meet certain criteria that would enable them to enter and win in the new market by flowing their existing products through them. Another example might be that in order to penetrate this new market, new products might be needed which in turn could be the focus of acquisitions.
So as you can see, the upfront Business Assessment part of this program is internally focused to determine the acquisition strategy as opposed to externally focused on targets once the strategy is articulated.
In this workshop, you will learn how to carry out a successful business assessment which will in turn, prepare your organization for acquiring growth through an acquisition or merger. It is an in-depth process which will highlight your business’ strengths and weaknesses and highlight areas where inorganic growth may be more effective and fruitful compared to trying to grow organically.
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works
How Strategy Really Works is a book about strategy, written by A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, and Roger Martin, dean of the Rotman School of Management. The book covers the “transformation” of P&G under Lafley and the approach to strategy that informed it.
This method evolved from Monitor Company’s strategic practice and then became P& G’s standard operating procedure. Throughout their professional lives, they strove to create a solid framework for their strategic approach, a means of imparting the ideas to others, and a process for putting it into practice in an organization. At the end of the day, this is a tale of choices, including the decision to establish a discipline of strategic practice and thinking within an organization. Having a s