Podcast: Jim Gitney with Host David Bookbinder on “Behind the Numbers”

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am grateful to Dave Bookbinder for having me on his podcast: “Behind the Numbers” to discuss my book, but more importantly to discuss a simple approach to developing and implementing business strategy, which has yielded great results in dozens of companies over the last 10 years. Even if you have a strategic planning and implementation process …Read More

As leaders, we all know that good enough doesn’t cut it. But in today’s lean and remote organizations, teams tend to accept “Good Enough”, which checks the box so that they can move on to the next critical issue in the business. It is a potential trap that can lead to mediocrity and subpar performance.  It can create: …Read More

1. Business Growth Accelerator Podcast – Isar Meitis
   • Defining a cohesive business strategy is not easy, but implementing it is even harder. After successfully implementing business strategy in major companies, Jim Gitney perfected the process and wrote a book about it – “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs – Turning Strategy Into Results”. In this fascinating interview, Jim shares a detailed blueprint on how to successfully implement business strategy. He developed a concept he calls the Business Hierarchy of Needs® (the business parallel to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs). This is a highly practical episode with a step-by-step process you can follow, with great examples and powerful business concepts.

About Jim Gitney:  Jim Gitney is the CEO and Founder of Group50^® Consulting, and the author of “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs®” which summarizes a framework for creating a business that leverages topics in this article. (You can find out more about the book and acquire a copy by clicking on the image to the right).

Founded in 2004, Group50®consulting is focused on working with middle market companies to significantly improve their productivity by leveraging people, process and technology as part of a company’s strategic plan.  Group50® consists of consultants who have spent their careers in corporate America learning how to optimize businesses.  We specialize in working with senior leaders to develop and implement strategies that accelerate top line and bottom-line performance.

Supply chains are the heart and arteries that drive a company’s strategic success.  From raw materials through the full life cycle of the product or service, lean supply chains have constantly changing requirements and have been significantly challenged with the frequency of massive disruptions.  The Supply Chain Hierarchy of Needs™ provides a framework for …Read More

90% of companies do a poor job executing their strategy 

The Business Hierarchy of Needs® and and Strategy 5.0™ are part of Group50’s suite of strategic planning and execution tools.  In this 20 minute video, Jim Gitney, the Founder and CEO of Group50, summarizes how the Business Hierarchy of Needs®, a change management framework, can be used by Boards of Directors and senior leadership teams …Read More

“𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒎 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆.”

I just published an article on LinkedIn on the Appropriate Design for a Digital Future.  You can read it here.  For those of you who want a Schaum’s outline version, here we go.

Today’s functional organization structure is no longer appropriate for serving the digital future.  Business processes are horizontal, not vertical.  So, as part of Group50’s approach to Strategy 5.0™, we are proposing that companies be organized in the following …Read More

In Group50’s early days, we were working with the model shown in the picture to the left when we were doing strategic planning work.  It was simple, to the point and easy to talk about.  None of our clients were totally convinced that this image told the entire story.  It was missing a lot of information and only told the story of getting prepared to implement a company’s strategy.  This graphic didn’t include two key elements: …Read More

 

Drive Business Success with a High-Impact Continuous Improvement Program

 

Turn Change into Competitive Advantage

Change is inevitable—how you respond determines your success.

Every business must continuously evolve its strategies, processes, tools, and workforce skills to stay ahead of the competition. But without a well-structured Continuous Improvement program, change can be chaotic, ineffective, or even damaging.

At Group50® Consulting, we don’t just help companies implement Continuous Improvement—we align it with your business strategy to create lasting competitive advantage. Whether you’re launching, revitalizing, or expanding a Continuous Improvement program, we provide the framework, tools, and expertise to ensure measurable success.

The 5 Key Elements of a Successful Continuous Improvement Program

To ensure sustainability and impact, your Continuous Improvement program must include:

1. Align Continuous Improvement with Strategic Objectives

• Continuous Improvement should never be a standalone initiative—it must drive real business results. Successful programs:
• Directly impact key business goals and the company’s Most Important Goal (MIG).
• Focus on high-visibility, high-impact projects that build momentum and credibility.
• Use strategic objectives and Group50’s Business Hierarchy of Needs® to guide priorities.

2. Start Small—Then Scale for Maximum Impact

• Many companies fail because they try to tackle too much too soon. Instead, we help you:
• Begin with targeted projects that address critical strategic and operational gaps.
• Leverage process owners and key influencers to drive change across all departments.
• Use Value Stream Mapping and Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) for quick wins and measurable progress.

3. Build a Culture of Strategic Execution

• Continuous Improvement isn’t just about tools—it’s about people and culture. Sustainable success requires:
• Clear communication of mission, vision, and values to align the organization.
• Continuous training and leadership development to empower employees.
• Engagement at every level—from executives to frontline employees.

4. Use the Right Tools—at the Right Time

• Relying on a single improvement methodology limits results. We blend the best techniques to fit your unique needs:
• Six Sigma for data-driven problem solving.
• Lean & Kaizen for rapid, sustainable efficiency gains.
• Value Stream Mapping & Business Process Reengineering for holistic process transformation.
• Just-in-Time (JIT) training to ensure learning is applied immediately.

5. Focus on Data—Not Just Gut Feelings

• Forget “That’s how we’ve always done it.” Successful Continuous Improvement programs:
• Use hard data and measurable KPIs to justify projects.
• Hold teams accountable for results with clear metrics.
• Create a culture of disciplined decision-making, ensuring every initiative moves the strategic needle.

Where Does Your Company Stand?

Before launching or expanding a Continuous Improvement program, assess where you are today:

Strategic gaps – Are your business goals aligned with your current capabilities?

Operational gaps – Are inefficiencies and bottlenecks slowing you down?

Organizational gaps – Do employees have the skills, tools, and leadership support to drive change?

At Group50®, we use the Business Hierarchy of Needs® framework to pinpoint these gaps and create a tailored roadmap for success.

How Group50® Helps You Build & Sustain Continuous Improvement

Our process ensures your program delivers real results and becomes embedded in your company culture:

Continuous Improvement Assessment – Identify operating challenges and opportunities for impact.

Organizational Assessment – Ensure the right structure and skillsets are in place.

Building the Business Case – Develop a data-backed plan with clear objectives, expected outcomes, and ROI.

Planning & Implementation – Develop project roadmaps, training strategies, and execution plans.

Sustaining the Program – Integrate Continuous Improvement into the company’s DNA to drive long-term success.

Need Master Black Belt training? Group50®’s specialized training program helps your organization build in-house Continuous Improvement expertise that moves the strategic needle.

Why Many Programs Fail—And How You Can Avoid It

Lack of executive support – Continuous Improvement must be driven from the top down.

No clear alignment with strategy – If projects don’t move the business forward, leadership will lose interest.

Failure to engage employees – Without buy-in, even the best programs won’t last.

Poor planning and execution – A lack of structured methodology leads to wasted time and effort.

With Group50®’s proven frameworks, expert facilitation, and structured approach, your company will avoid these pitfalls and achieve lasting success.

Ready to Make Continuous Improvement a Competitive Advantage?

A successful, sustainable Continuous Improvement program doesn’t just happen—it’s carefully planned, strategically executed, and continuously refined.

📞 Call us today at +1 (626) 644-9746
📩 Email us at info@group50.com

Schedule a Meeting with our Subject Matter Expert

Group50® – Helping Businesses Achieve Excellence, One Process at a Time.

 

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About the Author:  Jim Gitney is the CEO and Founder of Group50^® Consulting, and author of “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs®”, a book focused on the use of Continuous Improvement tools and frameworks for developing and implementing strategy (Clink on the picture to find out more about the book and acquire a copy).

He works with companies to significantly improve their performance by leveraging people, process and technology to implement a company’s strategic plan.  In 2013, he created Group50’s Business Hierarchy of Needs® change management framework, a fundamental operating guide to senior leadership teams, and was granted a trademark in 2015. He has held C-suite and Board positions in large and small manufacturing companies.

He was a member of GE’s Quality Council, part of the team that developed and implemented Black & Decker’s global Total Quality Management (TQM) program, has led or participated in over 125 Kaizen events and is considered a subject matter expert in Continuous Improvement. Group50® consists of consultants from every functional discipline who have spent their careers in corporate America developing strategic plans and rolling up their shirt sleeves to get it done.

 

We recently worked on a project that required the integration of two $30M companies. Both had grown to this size in a short period of time and had systems that supported their individual sizes relatively well. When the two were combined, they pushed across an inflection point. An inflections point is when a company’s systems, business processes and organization structure are struggling to support the size of the company and are incapable of supporting future growth to the next inflection point. …Read More

By many accounts, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has peaked and is slowing down. And while there is still some time before stay-at-home orders are lifted and non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen nationwide, there is an end in sight. It has been a very difficult time for businesses and individuals; the repercussions of the event will …Read More