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We’re often asked to help organizations plan for the future. But before a company can
address the future, it first has to look inside and decide who it is right now. What does
it stand for, what does it believe, what is its purpose? Usually, the answers to these
questions are many and varied. In order to help find the answers to these questions,
we turn to the teachings of Built to Last.
In 1995, Industry Week declared Built to Last, by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras the number one business book for the year. The book explores the reasons behind the
success of eighteen of the finest companies in the world, coming to the conclusion that
it is the truly visionary companies that distinguish themselves from their competitors.
Coughter & Company’s Core Ideology Process is based on the ideas first presented by
Collins and Porras. Long-term successful organizations are imbued with a core ideology that guides them, shapes them and informs virtually every decision they make.
A company’s core ideology consists of a core purpose, a company’s reason for being, as well as core values, the essential tenets of the organization, combined with an envisioned future, consisting of big, hairy audacious goals (BHAGs) and a vivid description of what the future will be like. Visionary companies continuously remind themselves of what must never change—the core, and what should change over time—operating practices, cultural norms and business strategies.
It’s critical to understand that we’re not talking about a vision statement, we’re talking
about becoming a truly visionary company, a company that will outperform its
competitors consistently over the long haul, just as the companies studied by Collins and Porras outperformed the general stock market by a factor of 12 since 1925.
We’ve worked with companies in many different industries to help them discover, and
bring to life their true vision.
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