We have categorized 2 documents as Business Basics. All documents are displayed on this page.

As the famed management consultant Peter Drucker once astutely observed, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment, C-level executives must deeply understand the essentials of sound Business Basics to drive operational excellence, strategic planning, and sustainable growth.Learn more about Business Basics.

Did you know?
The average daily rate of a McKinsey consultant is $6,625 (not including expenses). The average price of a Flevy document is $65.


Trusted by over 10,000+ Client Organizations
Since 2012, we have provided best practices to over 10,000 businesses and organizations of all sizes, from startups and small businesses to the Fortune 100, in over 130 countries.
AT&T GE Cisco Intel IBM Coke Dell Toyota HP Nike Samsung Microsoft Astrazeneca JP Morgan KPMG Walgreens Walmart 3M Kaiser Oracle SAP Google E&Y Volvo Bosch Merck Fedex Shell Amgen Eli Lilly Roche AIG Abbott Amazon PwC T-Mobile Broadcom Bayer Pearson Titleist ConEd Pfizer NTT Data Schwab




Read Customer Testimonials

  •  
    "FlevyPro provides business frameworks from many of the global giants in management consulting that allow you to provide best in class solutions for your clients."

    – David Harris, Managing Director at Futures Strategy
  •  
    "Flevy is now a part of my business routine. I visit Flevy at least 3 times each month.

    Flevy has become my preferred learning source, because what it provides is practical, current, and useful in this era where the business world is being rewritten.

    In today's environment where there are so "

    – Omar Hernán Montes Parra, CEO at Quantum SFE
  •  
    "My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me "

    – Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects
  •  
    "[Flevy] produces some great work that has been/continues to be of immense help not only to myself, but as I seek to provide professional services to my clients, it give me a large "tool box" of resources that are critical to provide them with the quality of service and outcomes they are expecting."

    – Royston Knowles, Executive with 50+ Years of Board Level Experience
  •  
    "As a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power. For us, it is an invaluable resource to increase our impact and value."

    – David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting
  •  
    "I have found Flevy to be an amazing resource and library of useful presentations for lean sigma, change management and so many other topics. This has reduced the time I need to spend on preparing for my performance consultation. The library is easily accessible and updates are regularly provided. A wealth of great information."

    – Cynthia Howard RN, PhD, Executive Coach at Ei Leadership
  •  
    "As a small business owner, the resource material available from FlevyPro has proven to be invaluable. The ability to search for material on demand based our project events and client requirements was great for me and proved very beneficial to my clients. Importantly, being able to easily edit and tailor "

    – Michael Duff, Managing Director at Change Strategy (UK)
  •  
    "I have used Flevy services for a number of years and have never, ever been disappointed. As a matter of fact, David and his team continue, time after time, to impress me with their willingness to assist and in the real sense of the word. I have concluded in fact "

    – Roberto Pelliccia, Senior Executive in International Hospitality



Flevy Management Insights: Business Basics

As the famed management consultant Peter Drucker once astutely observed, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment, C-level executives must deeply understand the essentials of sound Business Basics to drive operational excellence, strategic planning, and sustainable growth.

For effective implementation, take a look at these Business Basics best practices:

Explore related management topics: Operational Excellence Strategic Planning Leadership

Robust Strategic Planning Is Vital

A foundational principle embedded in Business Basics is the importance of strategic planning. Firms like McKinsey stress this as they help Fortune 500 companies map out both short and long-term strategies geared towards achieving predetermined goals. One report by Goldman Sachs confirms that 70% of organizations attributed their success to robust strategic planning processes that incorporated flexibility and adaptability as core elements.

A Data-Driven Approach to Decision Making

Another crucial Business Basic that must not be undervalued is data-driven decision-making. Notably, this does not just refer to the use of data in the decision-making process but also to the culture of treating data as a valuable organizational asset. As gleaned from Digital Transformation efforts, firms that handled their data more effectively outperformed their peers by 85% in sales growth according to a PwC study.

Explore related management topics: Digital Transformation Sales

Nurture a Culture of Innovation

Nurturing a culture of Innovation within an organization is a non-negotiable business fundamental in today's VUCA world. The correlation between innovation and company growth was highlighted in a recent BCG study, which indicated that over 30% of Fortune 500 companies attribute their growth to a culture of innovation that's embraced at all organizational levels.

Explore related management topics: Innovation

Leadership Is Key

In the realm of Business Basics, high-level management principles eulogize Leadership as a cardinal rule. Inspiring, managing, and leading human capital to converge towards a unified vision is a benchmark of successful businesses. A survey by Deloitte reveals that 89% of companies with strong leadership outperform their competition in terms of profitability.

Elevate Customer Centricity

Putting customers at the center of business strategies—a principle known as Customer Centricity—is another critical business fundamental. Bain's recent research indicates a direct correlation between customer centricity and revenue growth, with companies that ranked in the top 10% in customer experience metrics witnessing 5-7 times faster revenue growth.

Explore related management topics: Customer Experience Revenue Growth

Develop Agile, Resilient Operations

  • Operational Excellence: A company’s ability to deliver products/services in an efficient, cost-effective manner is a testament to its Operational Excellence. McKinsey found that firms achieving high operational excellence scored 30% higher in EBIT margins.
  • Risk Management: Another operational factor that can't be ignored is Risk Management. As pointed out by EY, companies that implemented competent risk management strategies exhibited 20% less business disruption.
  • Change Management: Lastly, in a rapidly evolving business landscape, effective Change Management is a must. Forrester reports suggest that organizations with proper change management strategies experienced 33% less resistance during change processes.

Explore related management topics: Change Management Risk Management Disruption

Performance Management and Culture

The importance of Performance Management in aligning individual goals with an organization’s targets and developing a performance-oriented Culture cannot be overstated. According to a recent study by Accenture, organizations with comprehensive performance management systems recorded 56% higher employee engagement levels compared to companies without such systems. Businesses that foster a strong, ethical, and inclusive culture are more likely to retain top talent, drive better performance and ultimately deliver superior financial performance.

To close this discussion, these strategic Business Basics are not exhaustive, but they form the cornerstone to achieving a sustainable competitive advantage, propelling growth, and creating stakeholder value in today’s dynamic corporate landscape.

Explore related management topics: Performance Management Competitive Advantage Employee Engagement

Business Basics FAQs

Here are our top-ranked questions that relate to Business Basics.

What role will sustainability and ethical considerations play in shaping the future of strategic planning in businesses?
Sustainability and Ethical Considerations are becoming essential in Strategic Planning, driving Innovation, Risk Management, and long-term value creation for businesses. [Read full explanation]
In what ways can companies measure the effectiveness of their customer centricity initiatives?
Discover how to measure Customer Centricity effectiveness using key metrics like CSAT, NPS, CES, and CLV to enhance Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Value for sustainable Business Growth. [Read full explanation]
How can businesses leverage AI and machine learning to improve decision-making without sacrificing human intuition and creativity?
Businesses can enhance Strategic Decision-Making and Innovation by integrating AI and ML with human intuition and creativity, fostering a collaborative environment that leverages the strengths of both. [Read full explanation]
What are the best practices for integrating emerging technologies into existing business operations to enhance innovation?
Discover best practices for enhancing Innovation through Strategic Planning, Change Management, and effective integration of Emerging Technologies into business operations for competitive advantage. [Read full explanation]

Recommended Documents

Related Case Studies

No case studies related to Business Basics found.

Explore all Flevy Management Case Studies




Flevy is the world's largest knowledge base of best practices.


Leverage the Experience of Experts.

Find documents of the same caliber as those used by top-tier consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, Accenture.

Download Immediately and Use.

Our PowerPoint presentations, Excel workbooks, and Word documents are completely customizable, including rebrandable.

Save Time, Effort, and Money.

Save yourself and your employees countless hours. Use that time to work on more value-added and fulfilling activities.



Download our FREE Strategy & Transformation Framework Templates

Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.