LSA Global Insights Newsletter

A Leader’s Guide to Communicating Decisions Effectively

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 May 2026 10:12:00 +0000

Project postmortem analyses reveal that execution failure is rarely about the decision itself — it is about the system surrounding the decision. Whether a business decision actually gets implemented depends on a small set of ten interdependent factors that either reinforce or undermine:

Alignment.
Commitment.
Follow-through.

Of the ten factors listed below, this article focuses on the second factor: The Quality of Communication: How to Communicate Decisions Effectively.

Decision Making Communication in Context: 10 Factors in Effective Decision Making

The ability to communicate decisions effectively is part of a comprehensive approach across ten decision making factors.

Clarity of the Decision
Ambiguity is the primary execution killer. If people interpret the decision differently, they act differently.
Quality of Communication
Even strong decisions fail if poorly communicated. People need more than the “what” — they need context; they need to feel like the decision makes sense.
Leadership Alignment
If leaders are not aligned, execution stalls quickly. Teams take cues from inconsistencies.
Ownership and Accountability
Decisions without clear ownership and true accountability rarely move forward.
Resource Allocation
Stated priorities often conflict with actual resource allocation.
Organizational Incentives
Execution strengthens when incentives, consequences, and performance metrics reinforce the desired outcomes.
Change Friction and Resistance
Execution improves when change resistance is anticipated, addressed, and actively managed.
Operational Follow-Through
Execution depends on structured milestones, reviews, and ongoing course correction.
Organizational Capability
Execution succeeds when the organization has the skills, systems, change readiness, and business practices required to succeed.
Psychological Safety and Feedback Loops
Execution is sustained when teams feel safe enough to give and act upon honest feedback.

Read How to Communicate Decisions Effectively

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

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Decision Rights Framework: 7 Steps to Drive Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Most organizational decision breakdowns are not caused by a lack of intent, intelligence, or effort.

They stem from misalignment and ambiguity around five key questions:

· What decision are we trying to make?

· Why is that decision strategically important?

· Who owns the call?

· Who contributes?

· Who ultimately moves the business forward?

A well-defined decision rights framework eliminates that friction by aligning strategies, authority, accountability, and execution.

The Research: Why Decision Rights Matter More Than Strategy Alone

Even the most sophisticated strategic planning retreat facilitation results will stall without clear decision ownership.

Research published in Harvard Business Review highlights that decision effectiveness — not just decision quality — is a defining factor in organizational performance.
Similarly, a study in Personnel Psychology found that clarity in roles and responsibilities significantly improves strategy execution speed and team outcomes.

In practice, unclear decision rights lead to:

Duplicated effort.
Slow approvals.
Risk-averse behavior.

Read the 7 decision-making steps to drive performance and accountability

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

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When Strategic Priorities Won’t Sit Still: How Smart Leaders Protect Focus and Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Does this sound familiar?

Your market has shifted. There has been a change in leadership. New competitive threats have emerged.

Suddenly, the “top three” priorities from last quarter are replaced with five new imperatives.

While changing market realities can certainly impact what matters most, constantly shifting strategic priorities is a leadership warning sign because it causes:

Teams to scramble.
Focus to fracture.
Execution to slow.
Trust in leadership to erode.

What the Research Says about Shifting Strategic Priorities

Data from organizational culture assessments show that shifting strategic priorities promote unmanaged organizational change. Research underscores the cost.

Our organizational alignment research found that strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performance in terms of revenue growth, profitability, customer loyalty, leadership effectiveness, and employee engagement.
A longitudinal study by McKinsey found that organizations with clear, stable priorities significantly outperform peers in both financial returns and employee engagement.
Research published in the Academy of Management Journal by Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer demonstrated that perceived progress toward meaningful goals is a primary driver of motivation. Constantly resetting goals undermines that progress principle.

Learn how to change the game.

Read the Top 6 Steps to Better
Manage Shifting Strategic Priorities

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

How Top Sales Reps Build Insight with Prospects

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Can Your Sales Reps Build Insight? 2 Key Competencies

To successfully sell complex solutions, sales reps must focus more on customer success than simply closing deals.

Buyers are better informed, customers expect more, and differentiation is often harder to articulate.

To thrive, sales reps must move from being order-takers to insight providers — trusted business advisors capable of guiding clients toward solutions they may not even realize they need.

Sales rep assessment simulation data suggests that with deliberate effort, targeted business sales training, and meaningful organizational support, sales reps can raise their game.

Where to Start?

See the 2 Research-backed Competencies for
Sales Reps Build Insight with Prospects

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

Increase Strategic Agility: A Leader Guide for Your Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:35:00 +0000

Increase Strategic Agility: A Leader Guide for Your Organization

Strategic decision making simulation data is clear: to thrive, leaders must proactively reset strategies as circumstances change. Strategic agility — the capacity of an organization to anticipate, respond, and adapt — is a key performance differentiator.

Growth
Profitability
Innovation

Unfortunately, corporate culture survey data shows that half of leadership teams struggle to increase strategic agility after executive strategy retreats.

Understanding What It Takes to Increase Strategic Agility

Strategic agility is not about reacting faster. It is about designing ways of working that anticipate change, align resources, and enable informed decisions.

Read the 12 Research-Backed Areas to Increase Strategic Agility

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

Happy Holidays: The Top 10 Articles from 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 10:30:00 +0000

As the year draws to a close, we want to thank you for the trust, partnership, and shared commitment we’ve had the privilege to experience with you over the past year.

We are grateful for the opportunity to align strategy, culture, and talent in ways that drive real performance. Working alongside thoughtful leaders and teams like yours continues to sharpen our thinking and raise the bar for what “better” looks like.

We don’t take that lightly.

As the new year approaches, we hope you’re able to step back, recharge, and enjoy time with the people who matter most. We wish you a new year filled with happiness, meaning, and new possibilities.

Thank you for being part of our community. We look forward to working together in 2026 and beyond.

Warm regards,

Tris Brown

Enjoy the most popular articles from 2025

Reset Your Strategy: 6 Signs that It is Time
Knowing when to reset your strategy is a hallmark of a high performing leadership team. Is it time?
Strategic Planning Retreat Facilitation that Works
If your strategies are not being successfully executed across the company, this article is for you.
Top Strategies for Executive Teams to Stay Aligned
Aligned leadership teams outperform their peers. Are you ready to take the first step?
The Biggest Culture Change Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Cultural misalignment is one of the most consequential reasons strategies stall.
High Performing Teams: Top 7 Characteristics
75% of cross-functional teams underperform. Learn what to do differently.
How to Better Define Your Team’s Purpose
There are good and bad ways to lead a team. See the best way to start.
What Paralyzes Decision Making: How to Become More Decisive
Even seasoned executives can find themselves hesitating when the stakes are high. See how to improve.
How to Influence Unreceptive Buyers: The Surprising Research
The challenge is not to break through buyer resistance by pushing harder or advocating more. Learn what to do.
Learning in the Flow of Work: How to Make Development Matter
Why traditional training fails and what to do about it.
Postmortem Project Approaches: Why Structure Matters
Well structured postmortems can increase future outcomes by 30%. Learn how.

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

Beyond Relationship Selling: The Real Drivers of B2B Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Beyond Relationship Selling: The Real Drivers of B2B Sales

B2B Sales Growth Is No Longer Driven by Relationships

For decades, B2B sales have been framed around one central principle: relationships.

The conventional wisdom was simple — build strong personal connections with clients, and sales growth will follow. According to the latest research from Gartner Group highlighted by our microlearning experts, 88% of salespeople still believe great service and support are the keys to sales account growth.

They are wrong.

What the Research Says

B2B sales growth is about more than relationship selling. While it is true that cross- and up-selling existing customers is three times more successful than trying to win over new prospects, the research found that world-class service contributes to sales account retention, but it has no effect on sales account growth.

While trust and rapport remain critical in the eyes of existing clients, we know from sales rep assessment simulation data that relationships alone are no longer enough to grow existing sales accounts.

Learn why and what to do about it to drive revenue growth.

Read the 5 Research-Backed Steps to Take to Get Beyond Relationship Selling

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

The Top 6 Steps to Drive Strategic Decisions Without Formal Authority

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 10:43:00 +0000

Not everyone with strategic insight holds formal authority.

Whether you are a functional expert, project lead, or high-potential individual contributor, to be high performing you must be able to shape direction, mobilize stakeholders, and create alignment even when the org chart does not grant you decision-making rights.

The challenge is real: how do you drive strategic decisions without formal authority at work?

What The Research Says

We know from organizational culture assessment research that high performance and engagement can be elusive in matrixed work environments. Why? Because accountability, information sharing, strategic clarity, and decision making rights can become blurred and misaligned.

And, according to a recent Gallup study 84% of US employees were operating in a matrixed work environment.

The research about how to better influence strategic decisions without authority is clear.

Read the 4 Research-Backed Competencies that Matter Most and the 4 Key Steps to Take

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

The Strategic Alignment Illusion: Why Leaders Think Teams Are Aligned (When They’re Not)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 11:40:00 +0000

Leaders Consistently Overestimate Strategic Alignment

Leaders often talk about strategic alignment as if it were a binary state.

In reality, organizational alignment is a moving spectrum, and most organizations tend to occupy a murky middle ground between high and low levels of strategic cohesion.

Yet, many executives report that they are convinced that their teams are more aligned and more committed than they truly are.

This gap between strategic perception and strategic reality can derail strategy execution, team engagement, and organizational performance.

One of the primary reasons leaders overestimate strategic alignment is that when leaders communicate strategy — through town halls, memos, or offsite retreats — they often mistake message delivery for message absorption, agreement, and commitment.

The research about why and what to do about it is clear. Where do your teams stand?

Read the Latest Research and Key Steps to Take

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

The Most Effective Sales Discovery Methods to Drive Buyer Engagement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 17:39:00 +0000

Are Your Sales Reps Creating Enough Buyer Engagement?

In a complex B2B sales, prospects (especially executive buyers) are more informed, time-starved, and resistant to generic sales pitches.

Experienced sales leaders know that B2B sales discovery isn’t just a step in the sales process to check off on your way to closing — it’s the sales differentiation engine that fuels buyer receptivity, trust, and momentum.

Done well, effective B2B sales discovery not only begins to build trust and uncovers what the buyer wants, but also:

What they need.
Why they, and their company, need it.
how it fits into their strategic priorities.
How they make decisions.
Who influences the final outcome.
Who else they are talking to.

Done poorly, weak B2B sales discovery stalls a deal, erodes brand credibility, and wastes everyone’s time.

How do your sales reps stack up against these 5 research-backed sales discovery skills?

Read the 5 Research-Backed Mindset Shifts
Required for Effective B2B Sales Discovery

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

What Sets High Performing Teams Apart: The Top 7 Characteristics

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000

The Top 7 Characteristics of High Performing Teams

Most top companies execute key strategic initiatives through cross-functional, empowered, and high performing teams.

Sadly, recent McKinsey research found that 75% of cross-functional teams underperform.

We know from project postmortem data that team effectiveness does not come by happenstance — leaders that promote and reinforce the characteristics of high performing teams outperform their peers.

High Performing Teams: What The Research Says

Most teams are struggling to be high functioning and high performing.

90% of executives believe teams could deliver similar outcomes in half the time if they collaborated more effectively.
75% of team time is spent on non mission-critical work.
50% of team meetings are unnecessary.
High performing teams share specific characteristics that enable them to achieve more. Understanding what sets these teams apart is crucial for leaders who want to unlock true performance potential.
How do your teams stack up?
Read the Top 7 to Get Right

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

The How to Guide for Leaders Define Success at Work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 10:42:00 +0000

An Essential Ingredient for High Performance

We believe it is the job of leaders to create the work environment that enables people within their organization to perform at their peak. We know from leadership simulation assessment data that taking the time to clearly define success at work is one of the most impactful performance moves a leader can make.

We know from corporate culture assessment data that when organizations fail to clearly define success at work they risk more than just strategic ambiguity — they risk employee disengagement, misaligned efforts, and ineffective strategy execution.

While most companies focus on high-level corporate outcomes like revenue growth, profitability, or customer satisfaction, too few leaders take the critical step of articulating what success and failure actually look like at every level of their organization.

This oversight is a significant barrier to excellence because people need to have an accurate sense of their current performance status if they are to perform at their peak.

Just imagine if you were running a marathon and you did not know previous winning times, who you were racing against, where the other racers were, or how you were doing along the way. It would be pretty difficult to perform at your peak and pretty easy to make excuses for underperformance.

There are some proven steps to take for leaders to get it right. How are your leaders doing?

Get the Guide: What It Takes to Effectively Define Success at Work

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

Top 8 Research-Backed Sales Management Skills to Master

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 May 2025 09:25:00 +0000

Are Your Sales Managers Driving High Growth?
We know from sales management training that how you lead a sales team can make or break sales performance.
Sales leadership success requires a thoughtful combination of strategic thinking, people skills, and analytical expertise to effectively lead, manage, and coach a sales team to higher performance.
The most successful sales managers master 8 research-backed skills required to drive revenue with loyal customers and an engaged sales team.
The Top 8 Sales Management Skills
We know from sales leadership simulation assessment data that great sales managers consistently lead, manage, and coach their teams to perform at their peak.
How do your sales leaders stack up against these 8 research-backed sales management skills?

See the 8 Sales Management Best Practice Skills

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.
Strategic
Clarity & Execution
High Performance Culture
Engaged & Differentiated Talent
Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™
Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..
Contact Us Today
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The Impact of Leaders Being One Team with One Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 11:02:00 +0000

High Performing Leadership Teams Act and Speak as One Team

They are committed to one plan and one way of working. They purposefully and consistently align a company’s strategy, culture, and talent so that everyone and everything is moving in the same direction for the same reasons. And being on one team with one plan pays dividends.

We know from our organizational alignment research that highly aligned companies grow revenue 58% faster, are 72% more profitable and outperform unaligned companies in terms of:

· Customer Retention 2.23-to-1

· Customer Satisfaction 3.2-to-1

· Leadership Effectiveness 8.71-to-1

· Employee Engagement 16.8-to-1

When leaders operate as a unified team toward shared goals, organizations experience stronger strategy execution, greater employee engagement, and more loyal customers.

Conversely, high levels of leadership misalignment create organizational churn and dysfunction: teams drift, messages are mixed, priorities clash, agendas diverge, resources are misappropriated, performance declines, and employees suffer.

The ability of leaders to function as “one team with one plan” is a hallmark of high-performing leadership teams.

Read What It Takes to Lead as One

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Jennifer Guy, M.D.
Transplant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist

Sutter Health

"The strategy alignment process lit a fire under a lot of things that we needed to coalesce around as a leadership team.

It has made a big difference in our levels of focus, accountability, communication, and collaboration.

Thank You!"

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Get Toolkit Now

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About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

7-Step Guide to Optimize Team Potential

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 11:05:00 +0000

High Performing Managers Optimize Team Potential

They do what it takes to get their team to fire on all cylinders by effectively holding people accountable to clear roles and responsibilities, aligning skills and strengths, closing gaps, and building strong partnerships with key stakeholders.

We know from people manager assessment center data and new manager training participants that a team’s potential is rooted in its ability to collaborate effectively, innovate consistently, and adapt to changing circumstances.

Leaders who invest in building cohesive, empowered teams can achieve superior business AND people outcomes.

High Performing Teams by Design

High performing teams don’t happen by accident. They are intentional, focused, committed, and have a better chance of success together.

Transforming from a group of talented people into a team whose collective impact exceeds what is possible for any one individual requires strategic clarity, authentic connection, and the ability to mobilize everyone on the team to propel shared goals forward.

Read the The 7-Step Guide Now

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

The Top 7 Steps to Create Leadership-Driven Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:34:00 +0000

Exceptional Leaders Matter

We know from leadership simulation assessment data that exceptional leaders drive exceptional performance. Exceptional leaders don’t just set the pace; they cultivate a high performance culture that helps people to perform at their peak.

Leadership-driven performance is about more than hitting targets; it’s about fostering an environment where people and the business thrive together. Great leaders motivate, drive outcomes, overcome adversity, act decisively, hold people accountable, and build trust.

How to Create Leadership-Driven Performance

Based upon action learning leadership development feedback, here is a deep dive into how to create leadership-driven performance, combining strategic insight with actionable steps.

Read the The Top 7 Steps to Create Leadership-Driven Performance

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

Strategic Believability: A Research-Backed Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 23:55:00 +0000

An effective business strategy should help to create a competitive advantage. But too many fail at an important ingredient: believability.

We know from organizational alignment research that strategy accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing organizations. However, crafting a corporate strategy is only half the battle; ensuring it resonates as believable and achievable to your key stakeholders is where many organizations falter.

To succeed, a business strategy must inspire confidence and commitment among those tasked with implementing it. Without strategic believability, buy-in, and commitment, even the most visionary and meticulously planned strategic initiatives are at risk.

Strategic Trust

Trustworthiness in strategy hinges on:

Transparency.
Credibility.
Trust.

A believable strategy bridges the gap between ambition and execution by offering a realistic roadmap for achieving outcomes that are worth pursuing.

To get on board, employees, investors, and partners need to perceive the strategy as both worthwhile to achieve and as solidly grounded in the organization’s capabilities and resources.

A lack of strategic believability can stem from overreaching goals, vague plans, or ignoring critical internal and external realities. When stakeholders doubt the feasibility of a strategy, they may disengage, slowing momentum and creating barriers to progress.

Read the 7 Key Components of a Believable Strategy

About LSA Global

Founded in 1995, we are a business consulting, coaching, and training firm focused on results. Our success is measured by the success of our clients.

Strategic
Clarity & Execution

High Performance Culture

Engaged & Differentiated Talent

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Client results and relationships are our center of gravity. We roll up our sleeves to make a meaningful impact on the people AND the business..

Contact Us Today

The Top 10 Sales Growth Questions That Must Be Answered

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Are Your Sales Growth Strategies Working?

Only a small fraction of companies achieve consistently high levels of profitable growth.

For any organization to grow sustainably, sales leaders must continuously ask critical questions unique to their circumstances, ensuring they navigate both growth opportunities and risks. The business growth questions that need to be addressed can vary based on industry, company size, and market conditions, but some are universal.

Top 10 Growth Questions

Finding a solution and business model that appeal to enough target customers to drive high levels of profitable growth is not easy.

From pursuing mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances, to increasing prices, to improving cross-selling, to expanding deal size, to investing in brand awareness, to improving the customer experience, there are a handful of business growth strategies that companies can pursue.

Each growth strategy has pros and cons that must be considered based upon your overall strategic vision and the assumptions you are making regarding your financial strength, current market dynamics, and competitive drivers.

We know from our organizational alignment research that, while all growth plans require access to financial and people resources, there are various ways and different paces to invest in growth.

Three classic choices involve organic growth, strategic alliances, and mergers and acquisitions. Each has implications that must be thoughtfully addressed.

Read the 10 Growth Questions that Must Be Answered

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Richard Marshall
Senior Manager, Global Marketing

SketchUp

"We engaged LSA Global to help 90+ sales distribution partners.

LSA focused on high-yield questions and impact.

We were very pleased with their expert sales facilitation."

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How to Help Employees Believe That Change Is Their Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 11:33:00 +0000

Effective Change Is Possible

Leaders and change management consulting experts know that change is both inevitable and not easy to implement. McKinsey, Harvard Business Review, and Bain have all cited a 70% change management failure rate.

We know from change management simulation data that the most successful work transformations happen when employees not only accept change but feel like it was their idea in the first place.

When employees take ownership of a new direction, change resistance softens, employee engagement rises, and change execution becomes smoother.

What Can Leaders Do to Help Employees Believe That Change Is Their Idea?

The key lies in a collaborative approach that empowers teams to internalize change as their own initiative — that is urgent, needed, and relevant to their success.

Are your changes sticking?

Read the Top 5 Research-Backed Tips

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Colleen Bell

President, Innovation & Experience

Cambridge Investment Research

"The change management training really hit the mark because it was completely customized for our unique change initiative and culture.

I know I learned how to be a better change leader.

It really opened the eyes of our change champions who are eager to apply the change tools."

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Toolkits for Leaders

Proven tools for leaders to boost performance

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Proven tools for strategy design and implementation

About LSA Global

Get Aligned. Stay Aligned.™

Contact Us Today

Top 7 Tips to Get Honest Strategy Feedback from Employees: A Guide for Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 10:15:00 +0000

Do We Really Need to Involve People Upfront?

While it sounds easier and more efficient to just tell people what you want them to do, we know from our organizational alignment research that active involvement in the strategy design process fosters a needed sense of ownership and involvement.

When it comes to strategic buy-in and commitment, honest strategy feedback from employees is more than just a nice-to-have — it is a necessity to set up strategy execution up for success.

Active employee involvement and two-way communication foster a culture of transparency and trust that empowers teams to make informed decisions that align with both organizational goals and employee needs.

The Benefits of Getting Honest Strategy Feedback from Employees

With so much time and effort put into annual strategy retreat facilitation, it is painful to hear that only 30% of organizations report that they fully execute their strategies. So, what is the problem?

Research by Bain found that the ability to effectively engage employees in the strategy process is the No. 1 strategy execution success factor — more than 50% higher than any other factor.

How to Get Honest Strategy Feedback from Employees

How can leaders better engage employees in the strategy process?

It starts with seven steps that encourage candid, constructive feedback from their teams about strategic directions and plans.

How does your approach stack up?

Read the Top 7 Research-Backed Tips

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Martena Kusz

VP of Strategy

J.S. Held

"You and your change management approach were exactly what we needed to create the clarity, transparency, and alignment.

Thank you for navigating a high stakes, complex, and political process with thoughtfulness and practicality."

See More Testimonials

Toolkits for Leaders

Proven tools for leaders to boost performance

Get Toolkit Now

Proven tools for strategy design and implementation

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How to Increase the ROI of Sales Training

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 23:30:00 +0000

How to Increase the ROI of Sales Training

Are You Getting a Return on Your Sales Training?

Even though $20 billion is spent on business sales training per year, more than a third of sales leaders admit that they do not have a clear idea of what measurable return they are looking for on sales training.

That is a costly mistake if you want to increase the ROI of sales training.

While investing in solution selling training skills to boost sales performance makes sense, our training measurement research found that only 1-in-5 sales reps change their behavior and performance from stand-alone sales training.

Why?

Because merely conducting sales training sessions (regardless of how good they are) does not guarantee improved sales results.

The real challenge lies in fundamentally changing and reinforcing the key sales mindsets, behaviors, and skills required to consistently deliver higher sales performance.

7 Strategies to Increase the ROI of Sales Training

If you want to move the needle, here are seven research-backed strategies to increase the ROI of sales training initiatives.

How does your sales training stack up?

Get the 7 Strategies to Increase the ROI of Sales Training

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Robert Zeman

District Sales Manager

Aflac

"This sales strategy and methodology moved my team from good to great, outperforming teams four times our size.

We are now guides and managers of the sales process rather than pushers and pullers.

Employing these techniques opened doors with decision makers who consistently denied access in the past.

Bottom line, it worked in the toughest market we’ve ever faced."

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Top 10 Steps to Better Design Strategy Success Metrics

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 10:30:00 +0000

Top 10 Steps to Better Design Strategy Success Metrics

Are You Measuring and Rewarding The Right Stuff?

Workplace metrics impact workplace behaviors and performance. Strategic buy-in and strategy execution hinges on the ability to measure success accurately and transparently. Designing the right strategy success metrics can mean the difference between a leadership team collectively steering toward its strategic targets and veering off course.

Designed properly, metrics provide clear direction, motivation, and accountability. Designed poorly, they can lead to unwanted behaviors, misaligned actions, and unhealthy cultures.

Consider the infamous example of Wells Fargo.

Wells Fargo: Strategy Success Metrics Gone Bad

To best implement their customer growth strategy, executives identified metrics linked to cross-sales to customers to measure performance. Makes sense right? Satisfied customers should buy more products and services.

Unfortunately, the obsession with the success metric (and the associated rewards for achieving it), caused the sales force to lose sight of the strategic intent to build long-term and mutually beneficial customer relationships.

Wells Fargo opened 3.5 million deposit and credit card accounts without their customers’ consent to meet aggressive targets. And, in turn, severely damaged the long-term relationships that the bank strategically sought in the first place.

They were fined hundreds of millions of dollars, damaged customer relationships, and sullied their brand. In hindsight, it is easy to see that “cross-selling” by itself was not the best or only of way to measure and align with building long-term and mutually beneficial customer relationships.

There is a better way to align metrics with strategies.

Read the 10 Research-Backed Steps to Better Design Strategy Success Metrics

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Dr. Raphael B. Merriman M.D
Medical Director, Liver Transplantation

Sutter Health

"The strategy and alignment work with our leadership team was absolutely transformational.

The decisions we made combined with the transparency, communication, and accountability were exactly what we needed.

Thank you!"

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Do You Have the Right Talent to Execute Your Business Strategy?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 11:20:00 +0000

The Imperative of Talent Alignment

Companies that have a tight match between their strategy and the capabilities of their people outperform their peers. Our organizational alignment research found that having the right talent to execute your business strategy accounts for 29% of the difference between high and low performing companies in terms of:

Revenue growth
Profitability
Leadership effectiveness
Customer loyalty
Employee engagement

The symbiotic relationship between talent and strategy matters. Because your strategy must go through your talent to be successfully executed, it is no surprise that organizations must have the right capabilities, confidence, and conviction to move strategies forward. Crafting an amazing strategy that your people cannot execute or fully commit to is a waste of time.

Talent: The Catalyst of Strategy Execution

The success of every strategic initiative depends on the collective capability, competencies, and commitment of individuals within the organization. Talent, from leadership to the frontline, constitutes the bedrock of execution prowess. Strategies that are misaligned with talent are asking for trouble.

How many strategic imperatives have you successfully implemented that did not fit with your employees’ motivations or talents? Our strategic clarity research tells us very few. While it seems like a no-brainer to not chase strategies that outpace or misalign with your capabilities, executives often get enamored with chasing audacious goals to drive growth.

Examples of Challenges

Sales Strategy Shift from Hardware to Software as a Service (SaaS)

Consider the case of common strategy shift from selling hardware to selling a SaaS model. According to DevSquad, 80% of businesses plan to transition all of their systems to SaaS by 2025. Strategically it makes sense to companies because it provides a more predictable business model and makes it easier to plan for growth and raise capital.

From a customer perspective, it can reduce infrastructure costs while improving scalability, flexibility, accessibility, and security. Selling a long-term service that must be supported and updated, however, takes very different solution selling skill set than selling hardware. While the sales strategy makes sense, companies must have the sales skills, sales systems, sales processes, and motivated resources to enable the new strategy.

Operational Shift to a Digital Transformation

Another common strategy shift is for an organization to undertake a digital transformation. The strategy enables companies to embed technologies across their businesses increase efficiency, improve agility, and unlock value.

According to Gartner, 91% of businesses are involved in some type of digital initiative, and 89% of companies have adopted or plan to adopt a digital-first business strategy. While advanced technologies can certainly improve business practices and how value is delivered to customers, it requires a talent pool equipped with digital fluency, adaptability, and change management prowess.

Yet, according to Deloitte, only 44% of businesses are prepared for the imminent digital disruption that will occur.

Is your talent set up to deliver on your strategy?

Read the 10 Questions to Test If You Have Talent Gaps

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Farhat Ali

President & CEO

Fujitsu

"Congratulations on your pro-activity in establishing our talent management program.

And thank you for developing such an effective New Employee Orientation course."

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A Blueprint for Sales Strategy Success

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 May 2024 04:16:00 +0000

A Blueprint for Sales Strategy Success

Sales Reps Do Not Believe In Their Company's Sales Strategy

Our latest B2B sales strategy poll found that less than half of sales reps believe in their company's sales strategy for success. That is a problem. Strategic sales clarity accounts for 31 percent of the difference between high and low sales performance.

B2B sales success isn’t just about making catchy pitches; sustainable sales success is about formulating a comprehensive and effective sales strategy that:

· Resonates with your ideal target clients

· Is implementable by your sales force

· Aligns with your organization’s strategic priorities

Developing an effective B2B sales strategy requires a deep understanding of market dynamics and the ability to adapt to evolving trends.

5 Steps to Crafting an Effective Sales Strategy

Sales leadership simulation assessment data tells us that too many sales leaders struggle with the ability to select strategic sales priorities that add significant value and create a competitive advantage.

How does your sales strategy stack up?

Read the 5 Steps to Crafting an Effective Sales Strategy

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Pratiksha Patel
VP Talent
L'Oreal

"LSA has a unique ability to quickly understand our business and needs. This keen understanding allowed for a solution that was specific and impactful.

They are well prepared and ingrained themselves to become one of us. We’ve come to see LSA Global as a true sales partner."

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Toolkits for Sales Leaders

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Proven tools for impactful sales training

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LSA Global Insights Newsletter

A Leader’s Guide to Communicating Decisions Effectively

Decision Making Communication in Context: 10 Factors in Effective Decision Making

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Decision Rights Framework: 7 Steps to Drive Performance

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When Strategic Priorities Won’t Sit Still: How Smart Leaders Protect Focus and Performance

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How Top Sales Reps Build Insight with Prospects

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Happy Holidays: The Top 10 Articles from 2025

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Beyond Relationship Selling: The Real Drivers of B2B Sales

Beyond Relationship Selling: The Real Drivers of B2B Sales

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The Top 6 Steps to Drive Strategic Decisions Without Formal Authority

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The Strategic Alignment Illusion: Why Leaders Think Teams Are Aligned (When They’re Not)

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The How to Guide for Leaders Define Success at Work

An Essential Ingredient for High Performance

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Top 8 Research-Backed Sales Management Skills to Master

Are Your Sales Managers Driving High Growth?

The Top 8 Sales Management Skills

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The Impact of Leaders Being One Team with One Plan

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7-Step Guide to Optimize Team Potential

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The Top 7 Steps to Create Leadership-Driven Performance

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Strategic Believability: A Research-Backed Guide

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The Top 10 Sales Growth Questions That Must Be Answered

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A Blueprint for Sales Strategy Success

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