An organization has a successful relationship with its customers and its market position has been improving. The organization's leaders now want to achieve operational excellence to increase their…

Question

Options

• AFocus the strategy entirely on the operational excellence, because this is the defined objective
• BCreate a separate strategy for achieving operational excellence and another one for achieving
• CCreate a balanced strategy addressing operational excellence, and customer and market
• DFocus the strategy on customer and market relevance, and operational excellence will naturally

• A
  13% (3)
• B
  4% (1)
• C
  79% (19)
• D
  4% (1)

Explanation

Option C is correct because a well-formed organizational strategy must be balanced - the organization already has strengths in customer relationships and market position, so abandoning or sidelining those to chase operational excellence would risk the very foundation of its success. Strategy is holistic; operational excellence, customer intimacy, and market relevance are interdependent pillars that must be managed together.

• A is wrong because focusing entirely on one objective ignores the existing competitive advantages the organization has built - a strategy should protect and build on strengths, not replace them.
• B is wrong because separate strategies create silos and misalignment; one coherent, integrated strategy is superior to fragmented ones pulling in different directions.
• D is wrong because operational excellence does not emerge automatically from customer/market focus - it requires deliberate investment, process improvement, and explicit strategic attention.

Memory tip: Think of strategy as a three-legged stool - operations, customers, and market. Remove or ignore any leg and the whole thing falls over. The word "balanced" in option C is the giveaway that it respects all three legs.

No community discussion yet for this question.