
If “the essence of strategy is choosing what not to do,” as Michael Porter famously said in a seminal HBR article, then the essence of execution is truly not doing it. That sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly hard for organizations to kill existing initiatives, even when they don’t align with new strategies. Instead, leaders keep layering on initiatives, which can lead to severe overload at levels below the executive team.
IMD Professor Michael D. Watkins, along with Rose Hollister, recently carried out research for the article, Too Many Projects. Their research indicated the seven causes of initiative overload, as well as provided a step-by-step process to guide leaders.
In this new IMD Research and Knowledge video series, IMD faculty explore the surprising results from recently-published influential, research-based articles, and spell out the main learning points for business leaders.
If you think your organization is taking on too many initiatives and suffering as a result, you are almost certainly right.
Watch the video and find out what you can do about it.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Assortment optimization presents a complex challenge for retailers, as it depends on numerous decision factors. Changes in assortment can result in demand redistribution with multi-layered consequences. This complexity is even more pronounced for ...
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The B case outlines how, by early 2025, Isabella Phoenix's initial vision for HP's Amplify Impact sustainability program had grown into a global initiative involving 4,800 partners in 48 countries. The program surpassed its goals, enrolling 59 of ...
The A case in this two-part series outlines the challenges Isabella Phoenix faced in designing a global sustainability program for HP's vast network of channel partners in just 12 weeks with only one team member and limited resources. The initiati...
Les études de cas de HBR sont basées sur des problèmes vécus par des dirigeants d’entreprise et proposent des solutions d’experts. Celle-ci est tirée de l’étude de cas de l’Insead « Stress and the City (A&B) : Antonio Horta-Osorio, CEO of Lloyds B...
in European Journal of Operational Research August 2025, vol. 324, no. 3, pp. 799-813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2025.01.035
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Case reference: IMD-2681 ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD Brain Circuits 8 July 2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications