The Silent Killer of Successful Strategy Execution: Bad Assumptions

Your strategy is a set of hypotheses. When these hypotheses go untested and unchallenged, you can pay a steep price.

For example, recent strategies failed because leaders made wrong assumptions about market demand (think Peloton) and customer loyalty (Target, Disney). However, in my experience, the most common unexamined assumptions are those about your people. You think you really know what they are thinking but research shows you probably don’t.

In this interactive session, we will explore six bad assumptions executives make about their people and culture that often sink even the best strategies. We will also discuss actions you can take to reveal and minimize the hidden assumptions that can sink your strategy.


Michael Seitchik

Michael Seitchik currently wears several different hats. He is the Founder of Michael Seitchik LLC, the SVP of Client Relations at Strategia Analytics, an Adjunct Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, and a coach at The Wharton School.

He specializes in executive coaching and change management. His clients have included Ace Hardware, Ameritas, Aramark, Lenovo, Outerstuff, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Seyfarth Shaw, Society of Women Engineers, Verizon, and The Wharton School. He consults on a number of topics including team development, leadership development, implementing change, strategy development and execution, influence skills, constructive conflict, and scenario planning.

He is a past member of Beacon and was the co-chair of the Human Capital group for several years.

His recent publications include “Confidence and Gender” (2020) and “The Goldilocks Approach to Team Conflict” (2019) both published in The Psychologist-Manager Journal and “So You Think You Can Innovate” (Rotman Management, 2017) which describes research on leader behaviors that differentiated executives who successfully lead innovative teams from those who were not successful at leading innovative teams.

He received his doctorate in organizational development from Temple University.


Registration Fee:
Free for Members
$15 for Non-Members