Agree/Disagree and Why?

Discussion: Let's start this week's threaded discussion with a quote by Brian Tracy:

"One of the marks of successful people is they are action oriented. One of the marks of average people is they are talk oriented."

With this statement in mind, why is it important for decision-makers to have a bias for action - i.e., to be action-oriented.

In regards to strategic marketing, what are some of the different approaches that we can use to implement our marketing strategies?

Answer: Successful businesses are often attributed to action-oriented leaders. When decision-makers can formulating a vision and engage all resources to see those actions realized, it cultivates a culture driven towards innovation. Action-oriented doesn't always allow decision-makers to have all of the information to pull the trigger on a course of action, but having the courage to take action and seize an opportunity(Loo, 2007).Those leaders who have great ideas, but fail to follow through on their convictions, fail to create the commitment from followers to see changes happen. I have worked for several bosses where they seem to be hesitant about making a decision due to fear of reaction, or in other cases, only offered ideas without any real intent on following through. They failed to keep any creditability with the workforce, which impacted the unit's morale.

Our text describes four methods to implement marketing strategies. These four methods include implementation by command, change, consensus, and culture. The methods are used by leaders to drive marketing strategies and can be selected depending on time, costs, feasibility, and sustainability. The command implementation method takes the least amount of time by forcing actions from the top but may not encourage workforce motivation. Using the change method, planning activities drive the organization structure to conform to the implementation plan and can take longer to achieve. The consensus approach includes more buy-in from stakeholders, however, the collaboration draws out the process. Lastly, the culture implementation method reinforces overall corporate vision, though incurs significant time and worker costs(Ferrell & Hartline, 2014). The implementation choice is influenced by the leader and the existing culture. A more established company may have the time and resources to use a longer approach, while a newer company may choose a faster marketing strategy.

Regards,

Matt

Reference:

Ferrell, O., & Hartline, M. D. (2014). Marketing Strategy, Text and Cases (6th ed.). Mason: South-Western CENGAGE Learning.

Loo, T. (2007). The Qualities of a True Leader. Retrieved from LeaderToday.org: http://leadertoday.org/articles/leadershipqualilties.htm