Six Disciplines: A Program For Balanced Strategy Execution During Economic Uncertainty

Six Disciplines Provides Growing Businesses with a Balanced Program for Strategy Execution During Any Economic Environment

New Clients and Continued Market Acceptance Increase Momentum in 2008

FINDLAY, Ohio, Feb. 25, 2008 —Six Disciplines announced today that momentum continues to build nationwide for its breakthrough strategy execution program, evidenced by enrolling new clients from the healthcare, manufacturing and furniture industries. The Six Disciplines program, delivered by a growing network of local centers, consists of a repeatable business-building methodology, local accountability coaching, an execution software system to ensure individual and team activity alignment, and the economic advantages of accelerated community learning.

Based on years of field testing, 100 man-years of research and development and a $20 million investment, the Six Disciplines program provides organizations with a holistic approach toward strategy, planning, organizing people and processes, execution management, innovation and organizational learning.

“What most business leaders think is their greatest challenge really isn’t. There is one business problem that, if solved, makes solving all other problems easier,” said Gary Harpst, founder and CEO of Six Disciplines. “Knowing how to plan and execute, while overcoming today’s surprises is the most foundational capability any organization can have. We show our clients how to balance strategy and execution, a key competitive advantage--particularly during times of economic uncertainty.”

Six Disciplines nationwide has seen continued success through the acquisition of new clients, increased staffing hires based on market demand and secured speaking engagements to small and midsized business executives. Leading center initiatives across the country include:

• Six Disciplines North Carolina (Raleigh; Research Triangle Park): Managing partner, Craig Landwehr, recently completed the first year of Six Disciplines program implementation with the global IT organization of Research Triangle Park-based Family Health International, a non-profit organization focused on improving lives around the world through public health research, education, and services. The center has also begun working with several other regional non-profit organizations including Planned Parenthood of Central NC and the Triangle YMCA. Landwehr will be conducting a monthly series of Executive Briefings focused on “Getting the Right Things Done: A Leader’s Guide to Strategy, Planning, and Execution.”
• Six Disciplines Central Indiana (Indianapolis): General Manager John Boomershine recently formalized a client relationship with ADVANTAGE Health Solutions, Inc., an Indianapolis-based provider-owned health plan offering healthcare benefits and solutions to employer groups of all sizes. Additionally, the center recently held executive briefings with 29 local organizations to discuss goal setting for not-for-profits. To support their growing client base, the center hired two new executive coaches, Marianne McLean and Jennifer LeMieux. McLean is responsible for offering strategic advisory services to clients in pursuit of continual business improvement process; she was a founding partner at Advanced Interface Solutions, Inc., previously. LeMieux, an employee of Six Disciplines Central Indiana since 2006, will aid clients in successfully adopting the Six Disciplines program. She will also continue to support the center’s ongoing marketing initiatives.
• Six Disciplines Tampa: President Sean Burke will speak at the St. Petersburg College Business Solutions Showcase on Feb. 29. The center also recently launched a six-part “Business Excellence” podcast series on strategic planning. The series can be found at http://www.ceo-podcast.com/.
• Six Disciplines Ohio: President Eric Kurjan recently formalized relationships in Jan. with Waterville, Ohio-based BioFit, an industry-leading manufacturer of ergonomic seating, tables, and stools; and Total Fleet Solutions, a Toledo, Ohio-based one-stop shop for material handling equipment needs of Fortune 1000 corporations. Additionally, the center has added Jeff Sprague as a coach to support their overall regional growth. Sprague is responsible for offering enduring strategic advising services to organizations that adopt the Six Disciplines methodology. Senior Client Coach Scott Gray will present to entrepreneurs and business owners at both the University of Toledo Center for Family Business and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce in March, April and May. The center also recently established a partnership with the Ohio Manufacturer’s Association and will be presenting a seminar to members in April.
• Six Disciplines Atlanta: On Jan. 1 a new center office was established at 1755 North Brown Rd. in Lawrenceville, Ga. On Feb. 4 President Riz Shakir was a guest lecturer at the J Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, where he spoke to more than 30 students taking the school’s “Managing the Family Business” class. Of those participating, the majority are part of families that own small or midsized businesses. His presentation, “Ownership of an Enterprise Built to Last,” addressed the importance of strategic planning.

Six Disciplines Books Gain Awareness

Based on recent media exposure, momentum also continues to build for the top-rated handbook Six Disciplines for Excellence, authored by Six Disciplines founder and CEO Gary Harpst. Six Disciplines for Excellence received the 2007 USA Book News Best Books finalist award, and was rated the No. 1 business book for 2007 by The Center for Workplace Excellence. Six Disciplines for Excellence is also consistently ranked in the top ten books of the Organizational Learning category on Amazon.

As a follow-up to the success of Six Disciplines for Excellence, Harpst has finished a new book, Execution Revolution: Solving The One Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier, which is scheduled to be published in April 2008. In Execution Revolution, Harpst details the elements of a complete strategy execution program, explains why it could only have happened now, and clarifies why such a program will become a mainstream requirement for successful small and midsized businesses.

About Six Disciplines

Six Disciplines Corporation, founded in 2000, has developed the first complete strategy execution program, specifically for small and midsized businesses. The Six Disciplines program integrates a repeatable methodology to drive organizational learning, ongoing external coaching to ensure accountability, an execution software system to align daily activities of every stakeholder, and community learning to accelerate and sustain business excellence. The program is offered exclusively through a growing national network of locally-owned Six Disciplines Centers. Businesses that have implemented the Six Disciplines program include those from the Inc. 500, ISO-9000 certified companies, and a 2007 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award recipient. Visit http://www.sixdisciplines.com/.