Unique Methodology Unveils Missing Link to Business Success

(DES MOINES, IA, February 11, 2011) – More than 60 area business leaders, guests of Strategic America (SA) and FranklinCovey, the renowned consulting and training organization, learned about a unique methodology for ensuring quality workplace execution in an exclusive seminar, Thursday, January 27, 2011 at SA’s offices in West Des Moines.

The Covey seminar, Creating a Culture of Execution, identified the implementation of strategic goals as the greatest challenge in business today. The seminar emphasized setting “Wildly Important Goals” (WIGs) followed by quantifiable objectives known as LAG and LEAD measures for empowerment, accountability and success across an organization.

FranklinCovey Senior Consultant/Practice Leader Rick Spencer led the seminar, in which he explained that innovative ideas are not what is lacking in today’s organizations, but rather failure to adhere to one or two key goals (WIGs) while employees diligently try to maintain the daily duties of their jobs.

Spencer trains exclusively on Execution throughout the U.S. and Canada. Spencer has extensive experience in global sales leadership, international operations, supply chain management and manufacturing operations. He has worked in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan and the U.K., offering solutions that lead to breakthrough operating and financial results for his clients in numerous industries including financial, professional services, technology, energy, automotive, manufacturing and government. Spencer earned both his MBA and BA degrees from Brigham Young University.

The seminar was based on principles in the book, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy, former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, and Ram Charan, author of What the CEO Wants You to Know.

“Even when a company is highly innovative with strong business practices and an excellent strategic plan, it’s clear that understanding and exercising the art of execution is the vital link to growing an organization,” says Mike Schreurs, SA’s CEO. “We found that offering this seminar, the third in a series to celebrate our 30th year in business, truly represents our commitment to providing best practices to our clients and colleagues.“

“Understanding specifics related to the role of people, strategy and operations is critical,” says Schreurs, about the seminar’s key points. “Rick Spencer demonstrated how leaders must directly engage with a focused set of goals and then allow their employees to set the measurable steps to reach them. Throughout the process, leaders cannot be removed from that direct engagement or they fail to take into account the realities their employees face to reach company-wide goals.”

“SA not only values the caliber and lessons provided by FranklinCovey for our agency, we were glad to share these insights with our clients and community leaders. We will all synergistically benefit from learning and applying this Covey process of execution,” says Jim Stafford, SA Principal and Vice President, Client Services.

In a post-seminar survey of attendees, several Strategic America clients were highly positive about the applicability of the Execution lessons.

“This Covey seminar demonstrates SA’s commitment to excellence and partnership with its clients, which happens to completely align with our core values and mission,” says Steven Smith, President and CEO of GCommerce, a leading provider of procurement solutions designed to streamline distribution supply chain operations, based in Des Moines. “I like the robust and detailed implementation road map laid out by Covey. Only a thought leader would recommend and provide a course such as this to clients. It’s thinking outside the box.”

“The seminar clearly reflects positively on SA in terms of understanding what is important to clients, having the leadership to hold the event and it speaks directly that SA is strategic and mindful of ROI,” says Adam Claypool, Managing Director of DeWaay Investment Banking.

Another client noted that, “Defining the two to three ‘critical’ or Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) for our company was the message we needed to hear. In fact, we were less than a week from our company business plan roll-out for the year and it caused us to go back and re-work our presentation to provide better focus and direction for the critical initiatives.”

Named Des Moines’ best advertising and public relations firm as well as the most promising small business in the metro by Business Record readers in 2009 and 2010, SA continually offers value to both clients and employees by providing relevant professional development. All executive-level SA employees completed Franklin Covey management training in 2010, and SA is now providing Franklin Covey training to all employees in 2011.

Strategic America is a Des Moines-based integrated marketing communications firm that employs 90 communications professionals. Founded in 1980, Strategic America represents more than 40 diverse national, regional and local clients, focusing on insurance/financial services, business-to-business, and dealer and consumer marketing. Strategic America is a well-regarded member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Worldcom Public Relations Group. Through SA’s partnership in Worldcom, it is also a member of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).

FranklinCovey is a provider of time management training and assessment services for organizations and individuals. FranklinCovey, based in West Valley City, Utah was created in 1997 as an acquisition by Franklin Quest of Stephen R. Covey’s Covey Leadership Center. Among other products, the company markets the FranklinCovey planning system, modeled in part on the writings of Benjamin Franklin, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, based on Covey’s research. The company operates approximately 80 retail stores throughout the United States and has sales channels in more than 50 countries worldwide.

For more information:

Mike Schreurs, CEO
Strategic America
515.453.2000
mschreurs@strategicamerica.com