1. Successful implementation is accomplished by turning strategic plans into action plans that are executed at the unit level. The action plans for each unit are developed at the corporate level and delivered to unit managers, who then execute the action plan.
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False
2. The Toyota Production System (TPS) was designed to embed continuous learning and improvement processes into the very systems that governed how every worker, from the highest to the lowest, went about their work. Ambitiously, they sought to train all their workers to work in a way that engaged them in performing continuous scientific experiments to find better ways to work efficiently and effectively. In effect, they were trying to turn all of their workers into practicing "scientists," but this proved a bridge too far, and the failure of this attempt explains why the TPS eventually failed.
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False
3. When choosing a strategy or strategies to propel an organization to sustained competitive advantage and success, significant focus should be given to making sure that the strategy or strategies differentiates the organization from competitors in some way that is important to customers.
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False
4. The habit of "sharpen the saw" is about taking care of ourselves as the tool of our own production in life and work. This habit is all about replenishing, refreshing, and further developing ourselves in four areas: physical, mental, social, and spiritual. Investing in ourselves in these areas requires what Covey calls attention to Quadrant II activities, which are not urgent, but which are very important and highly-leveraged in their long-term impact. In an organizational setting, this is akin to paying attention to building up the human and structural capital of the organization, as well as the other long-term production capacities of the organization, rather than consistently destroying these capacities in the effort to maximize short-term, quarterly profits.
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False