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Letter from the Founders – Fall 2017

LETTER FROM THE FOUNDERS

Companies built for success have a culture that embraces change.

If one thing is critical to the long-term success of an organization, it’s adaptability. The perfect strategy for today’s economy and today’s customer doesn’t guarantee victory tomorrow. Adaptability alone, however, isn’t enough. Companies built for success have a culture that embraces change, and an organizational structure and the discipline to manage it correctly. In this edition of The Jabian Journal, we examine how companies can become more stable by welcoming more change across the enterprise.

In our feature article End of the Aisle?” the author looks at how brick-and-mortar stores can stop losing ground, regain relevance, and become competitive in the digital landscape. Not surprisingly, these organizations must find a way to strategically adapt to new competitors, consumer expectations, and supply chains.

In Driving Employee Engagement Through Growth, the author takes us through Jabian’s Engagement Framework as the first of a nine-part series. He discusses how employers can leverage growth as a powerful employee motivator. We also have several articles that focus on adaptability by using Agile development techniques, in addition to articles on the power of correct governance structures and processes to guide and manage change.

Our two featured interviews are with executives who embody adaptability and innovation for success. The first is with Theresa Payton, the first female chief information officer in the White House under President George W. Bush, and now founder and CEO of Fortalice Solutions, a cybersecurity and intelligence consulting firm. Payton never planned to be a security expert, but made the most of her opportunities to become one of the world’s most sought-after experts.

Then, we hear from Mark Klein, co-president of Klein Tools, the second-oldest family-run business in Chicago at 160 years old. Klein Tools manufacturers tools and equipment for the electrical industry and, with Mark at the helm, the company has grown to be the global leader and innovator in the space. He discusses how taking chances and knowing when to pivot are critical.

Sometimes when people hear the words adaptability and change, they think it means replacing what made them successful in the first place with something new. While in very extreme cases that can be true, it rarely means giving up a company’s principles or culture. At Jabian, we constantly strive for growth, but never at the expense of our guiding principles. We believe a company can stay true to its core and find ways to adapt for the future—and nothing gives us more satisfaction than helping a company do just that.

Thanks,
Chris, Brian, and Nigel—The Jabian Founding Partners

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