Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Foreword
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Why a consistent emphasis and approach for new business creation is beneficial but difficult to achieve
- I The business environment
- II The management culture
- III The corporate executives
- IV The division general manager
- 11 The DGM's personal assets
- 12 The DGM's motivation and strategy for new business creation
- 13 Building corporate support for new business creation
- 14 Leading the division for new business creation
- V The division and its top management team
- VI Putting it all together
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
14 - Leading the division for new business creation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Foreword
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Why a consistent emphasis and approach for new business creation is beneficial but difficult to achieve
- I The business environment
- II The management culture
- III The corporate executives
- IV The division general manager
- 11 The DGM's personal assets
- 12 The DGM's motivation and strategy for new business creation
- 13 Building corporate support for new business creation
- 14 Leading the division for new business creation
- V The division and its top management team
- VI Putting it all together
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter examines how the DGM's leadership of the division influences new business creation (Table 14.1). DGMs rely on three major levers to try to change the division's mindset and behavior for new business creation: getting people to buy into the vision and strategy for new business creation; educating and training them for the task; and motivating and supporting them appropriately.
These actions do not bear fruit fast enough without a parallel effort to properly assess, appoint, reposition, and remove people – especially the key players – when necessary. Some DGMs either consciously or sub-consciously avoid this difficult task. DGM Mike Walker of AMP Sigcom stands out as the master to learn from in this area.
Changing the division's mindset and behavior
Getting people to buy into the vision and strategy for new business creation
DGMs try to get the people in the division to buy into their vision and strategy for new business creation by various means: by getting them to buy in one person at a time, by involving them in creating the vision, by communicating the vision over and over again, and by reassuring them if the vision does not produce results as rapidly as expected.
Getting people to buy in one person at a time DGM Mike Walker described how he was able to get a key player in AMP Sigcom on board by showing him why the strategy was important and how it could be sold to others:
We were putting together a strategy for having the company build us a screw machine plant for the anticipated growth in current business and new products. […]
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- Information
- Corporate EntrepreneurshipTop Managers and New Business Creation, pp. 197 - 212Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003