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Outsizing: Strategies to Grow Your Business, Profits, and Potential
The New Principles of Growth and Success
Do you want to grow your business? In the past, have you struggled to realize the desired outcomes of your strategy? Do you feel that you're making all the right business moves but are still coming up short? In Outsizing , author Steve Coughran assembles decades of research, hundreds of interviews, and multi-industry consulting experience to identify the strategic factors that dictate the difference between exorbitant success and bankruptcy. This helpful guidebook walks you through crafting and implementing proven strategies to outgrow your limitations to achieve extraordinary results. Outsizing uniquely combines the principles of strategy, innovation, and finance into a comprehensive framework for generating value.
Each chapter contains timely examples and proprietary insights to illustrate how businesses can form inimitable strategies that deliver value to the customer and capture value for the organization. The information is pertinent to any organization seeking to strengthen its culture, leverage advantages, focus on the essential, provide outstanding experiences to customers, and maximize financial returns. Outsizing will empower you to design strategies out of lessons learned as well as internal and external changes to build a foundation for enduring success.
Do you want to grow your business? In the past, have you struggled to realize the desired outcomes of your strategy? Do you feel that you're making all the right business moves but are still coming up short? In Outsizing , author Steve Coughran assembles decades of research, hundreds of interviews, and multi-industry consulting experience to identify the strategic factors that dictate the difference between exorbitant success and bankruptcy. This helpful guidebook walks you through crafting and implementing proven strategies to outgrow your limitations to achieve extraordinary results. Outsizing uniquely combines the principles of strategy, innovation, and finance into a comprehensive framework for generating value.
Each chapter contains timely examples and proprietary insights to illustrate how businesses can form inimitable strategies that deliver value to the customer and capture value for the organization. The information is pertinent to any organization seeking to strengthen its culture, leverage advantages, focus on the essential, provide outstanding experiences to customers, and maximize financial returns. Outsizing will empower you to design strategies out of lessons learned as well as internal and external changes to build a foundation for enduring success.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 18, 2019
29 people are currently reading
678 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 15, 2021
There's something warped about a world where advertisers and business moguls are the moral arbiters of society. They sit in judgement, in ivory towers built from crass commercialism, and look down on writers and artists because they're bad for business. This is why we can't have nice things, people.
I'm sick of hearing about how I need to niche down, explore my niche, or decide my niche. Especially from people who mispronounce niche as nitch. What's my niche? My niche is writing whatever I want because I don't want to do anything else. How about that? Is that not a thing?
Whenever I read anything by internet marketing douchebags I mentally make constipated noises like I'm gurning and straining whilst I take a dump. That's what they sound like to me. "Crush it!" "Niche down!" "No pain no gain!" "To the max!" Drink some tea. You'll feel much better.
I'm sick of hearing about how I need to niche down, explore my niche, or decide my niche. Especially from people who mispronounce niche as nitch. What's my niche? My niche is writing whatever I want because I don't want to do anything else. How about that? Is that not a thing?
Whenever I read anything by internet marketing douchebags I mentally make constipated noises like I'm gurning and straining whilst I take a dump. That's what they sound like to me. "Crush it!" "Niche down!" "No pain no gain!" "To the max!" Drink some tea. You'll feel much better.
October 1, 2020
“Outsizing” is a great business and marketing book. If you read a lot on the topics of customer experience and value, it might not tell you anything you haven’t heard before. Yet it serves as a great reminder. I’d recommend it for executives as well as those who head departments, such as HR, sales, marketing and finance. And of course anyone responsible for strategic planning.
This is mostly about creating smart business strategies. The main focus is on maximizing teams, customers, value proposition and technology. Corporate case studies featured include Chick-Fil-A, Uber, Southwest Airlines, Hammer Nutrition and Amazon.
The author, Steve Coughran, is a former CFO and current management consultant. Because he’s a big picture thinker, his content is understandable and in an easy to digest format.
The narrator, James Conlan, has a very professional voice. Unfortunately, I found his delivery a wee bit boring (for me). Perhaps this is a book that would be best delivered by the author who likely has a bit more passion on the topic?
These are my takeaways from “Outsizing”:
• Apply neuroscience research to your strategic planning.
• Understand customer types with shared values and motivations (vs. customer personas).
• Increase repeat business and encourage employee engagement.
• Understand consumer behavior and why it’s changing in the modern economy in the age of information.
• Apply pricing strategies that align with your strategic value.
• Conduct research and understand the top 5 macro trends that will impact your customers’ buying behavior.
• Give customers what they want before they know it (ex: Amazon uses data to focus on customer-centricity, which fuels progress).
• Secure positional advantage to capture greater value (outdated SWOTs framework focus on long-term planning, how can you act more quickly and improve the CX?).
• Maximize financial value via effective price positioning strategies (be a “first mover”).
• Unlock the potential of your talent (great employers attract great employees and the results they deserve).
• Foster cultural ingenuity (if a cultural isn’t positive it has negative impacts).
• Create a strategy team (S-Team) comprised of 5-10 value maximizers with different skillsets and experience.
• Conduct a process audit and implement relevant technology to drive greater productivity.
• Enable your teams by providing the right tools and insights, structure and freedom they need to succeed.
• Use an IAR Framework (this stands for Initiatives, Actions and Results)
“Successful strategists dream then plan, measure progress, and adjust.”
“Think big, start small, and act quickly.”
-Steve Coughran
Special thanks to Greenleaf Audiobooks, via NetGalley, for a gifted copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
This is mostly about creating smart business strategies. The main focus is on maximizing teams, customers, value proposition and technology. Corporate case studies featured include Chick-Fil-A, Uber, Southwest Airlines, Hammer Nutrition and Amazon.
The author, Steve Coughran, is a former CFO and current management consultant. Because he’s a big picture thinker, his content is understandable and in an easy to digest format.
The narrator, James Conlan, has a very professional voice. Unfortunately, I found his delivery a wee bit boring (for me). Perhaps this is a book that would be best delivered by the author who likely has a bit more passion on the topic?
These are my takeaways from “Outsizing”:
• Apply neuroscience research to your strategic planning.
• Understand customer types with shared values and motivations (vs. customer personas).
• Increase repeat business and encourage employee engagement.
• Understand consumer behavior and why it’s changing in the modern economy in the age of information.
• Apply pricing strategies that align with your strategic value.
• Conduct research and understand the top 5 macro trends that will impact your customers’ buying behavior.
• Give customers what they want before they know it (ex: Amazon uses data to focus on customer-centricity, which fuels progress).
• Secure positional advantage to capture greater value (outdated SWOTs framework focus on long-term planning, how can you act more quickly and improve the CX?).
• Maximize financial value via effective price positioning strategies (be a “first mover”).
• Unlock the potential of your talent (great employers attract great employees and the results they deserve).
• Foster cultural ingenuity (if a cultural isn’t positive it has negative impacts).
• Create a strategy team (S-Team) comprised of 5-10 value maximizers with different skillsets and experience.
• Conduct a process audit and implement relevant technology to drive greater productivity.
• Enable your teams by providing the right tools and insights, structure and freedom they need to succeed.
• Use an IAR Framework (this stands for Initiatives, Actions and Results)
“Successful strategists dream then plan, measure progress, and adjust.”
“Think big, start small, and act quickly.”
-Steve Coughran
Special thanks to Greenleaf Audiobooks, via NetGalley, for a gifted copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
May 20, 2023
Really enjoyed this book, found it to be one of the more entertaining business books I’ve read with anecdotes that were easy to understand and were applicable. Would like to read again as a physical copy rather than an audiobook so I could annotate and take notes.
June 26, 2019
This books provides in depth analysis of how businesses and economy; are changing with time and how few companies have traits that keeps them floating , when data shows that 67% of business go bankrupt in 10 years.
.
Book divides whole basic characteristics of a lasting business in 6 parts and details each one so that reader may gain insights into what is actually happening in complex environment that we live in.
.
.
There is a lots of useful information. If you have a bit of basic knowledge about business this book can act as a knowledge booster .
.
There are practical contemporary examples snd success/ failure stories from business world. In nutshell everyone should do what Amazon is doing. Thst can be oversimplified takeaway message.
..
But there us a big bag of knowledge in those pages.
.
What I didn't appreciate was;
1. Diagrams are not easy to read on kindle
2. At few junctures writing becomes a little too complex and technical.
.
.But it is a book to learn basics of how small startups can convert into big giants. I liked the fact that present economics is of experience creation and customer centric approach is must.
You may read any number of investment and business books but books like it provide the basics of every business principle.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.
.
Book divides whole basic characteristics of a lasting business in 6 parts and details each one so that reader may gain insights into what is actually happening in complex environment that we live in.
.
.
There is a lots of useful information. If you have a bit of basic knowledge about business this book can act as a knowledge booster .
.
There are practical contemporary examples snd success/ failure stories from business world. In nutshell everyone should do what Amazon is doing. Thst can be oversimplified takeaway message.
..
But there us a big bag of knowledge in those pages.
.
What I didn't appreciate was;
1. Diagrams are not easy to read on kindle
2. At few junctures writing becomes a little too complex and technical.
.
.But it is a book to learn basics of how small startups can convert into big giants. I liked the fact that present economics is of experience creation and customer centric approach is must.
You may read any number of investment and business books but books like it provide the basics of every business principle.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.
October 11, 2020
This book provides great insights and well structured explanation of different parts of commercial organizations. It also explains throughly and concisely how strategies should be approached by leaders. I listened to the audio version of this book and it was well narrated.
December 15, 2020
Outzizing was very inspiring as I think everyone should read this book.brings back the kind of training busineses lack in today.I am actually greatful to have won a free copy thru goodreads first reads so I can reread it later.this is a great book...
September 15, 2019
Recived e-mail notice 09/14 @ 9:30 pm won a free pre-release Kindle Copy... Just made through the first few pages...so far not bad for a help book reads very well! Will check back in a week or so!
September 12, 2020
Easy to understand business book on how firms (small businesses) may be able to grow and thrive in their line of trade using some ready principles applicable to their size.
September 25, 2019
This is a good book for business owners to read. It is organized and well thought out, offering analysis and insight into key factors for running a successful business. It offers great food for thought putting together a solid strategy for your business.
I won a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I won a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2019
As a small business owner, I found this book easy to read and digest. Author breaks down what strategy is and isn't and gives ideas on how to create and implement strategy for any size business.
Great tips on using strategy to solve problems within a business and to obtain better results!
Great tips on using strategy to solve problems within a business and to obtain better results!
August 5, 2019
Great read with lots of helpful ideas. Sometimes it helps to see the ideas of others to confirm what I thought about but wasn't sure if it would work.
May 24, 2019
This book is a well-structured reading with interesting points to reflect on. If you are looking to get inspiration and structure your strategy based on core elements of company, customers, competitors, etc., looking to get some research insights and re-shape your vision, this book is for you. I liked the research outcomes shared in combination with practical examples.from major companies well-known on a global arena.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews