Business Strategy – Jeremy Kourdi ‘A Guide to Effective Decision Making’ is published by the Economist as one of their ‘Guide to’ series. As such you might expect it is to be an authoritative guide, business like in its approach and highly readable. You will not be disappointed. This book is not really aimed at professional strategists (but they may well benefit from reading it as a refreshing refresher course!) but more at those people who have found themselves looking at a company or organisation strategy for the first time.
From the outset, Kourdi sets the tone with a clear definition of what strategy is and of equal importance, what strategy is not. Using examples to underpin the information given, the book is liberally sprinkled with anecdotes from companies such as Lego, Cisco, Nestle, Semco and more.
Kourdi argues effectively throughout the book that “The effectiveness of a good strategy well implemented determines a business’ future success or failure. Yet history is full of strategic decisions, big and small, that were ill-conceived, poorly organised and consequently disastrous. This updated guide looks at the whole process of strategic decision-making – from vision, forecasting, and resource allocation, through to implementation and innovation.”
Although the book is descriptive most of the time, using good examples to emphasise key points, it also provides useful check lists in the form of ‘Key Questions’ at the end of each chapter. This causes the reader to apply the knowledge gained and to think hard about what challenges they may face in their own business or organisation.
Overall, this is a very good beginners guide to business strategy.
Jeremy Kourdi is a freelance writer, business consultant and executive coach. He has worked with many well-known organisations in the UK and internationally, including The Economist, IMD Business School in Lausanne and the Chartered Management Institute. He has an MA in International Relations and is the author of numerous business books and articles.
