Larry (Laurence) Chait
Education
Harvard Business School
MBA, Marketing, Organizational Behavior 1963-01-01 - 1965-01-01
Cornell University
BA, Economics 1959-01-01 - 1963-01-01
Albany High School
, -Work Experience
Chait and Associates, Inc.
Current
Chait and Associates, Inc.
Brown University
Current
Brown University
Boston Knowledge Management Forum
Current
Boston Knowledge Management Forum
Root Cause
2006-06-01 - 2012-07-01
Root Cause
Foundation For Social Change
2010-01-01 - 2010-01-01
Foundation For Social Change
Society of Professional Consultants
2002-01-01 - 2010-01-01
Society of Professional Consultants
IBM
1999-01-01 - 2001-01-01
IBM
Arthur D. Little
1978-01-01 - 2001-01-01
Arthur D. Little
Jonathan David Incorporated
1972-01-01 - 1978-01-01
Jonathan David Incorporated
Commercial Information Corporation
1969-01-01 - 1972-01-01
Commercial Information Corporation
Skills
Summary
Even after receiving a Harvard MBA, I had to go through 25 years as a consultant to realize that something was missing from the models I had learned about organizational planning and performance. Then I had an “ahaaa" moment: more often than not, my advise – and that of my peers – had been way off the mark. We were getting it wrong. We consulted in silos. We advised on strategy, or process improvement, or information technology, or change management. And we gave good advice – great advice – in our silos. The problem is, an organization is not a silo. It is an integrated entity. Strategy is not independent of processes, which are not independent of change management. And within strategy, mission is not independent of strategic plans or organizational resources. What I finally realized is that these elements – and several more – are all inextricably linked. Making a strategy decision without considering its impact on processes – whether processes exist to deliver on the strategy, or will have to change (and how much), and whether the resources needed to support the strategy are sufficient – can negatively impact the strategy, result in increased costs and dislocations, or cause the strategy to fail. We were acting as specialists – cardiologists or podiatrists or ophthalmologists – when the patient needed a knowledgeable GP and a supporting care team. What I finally figured was that strategy, resources, and organizational elements all had to be aligned – but that that alignment was also required with an organization’s mission, vision, and values – and the needs of its many stakeholders. And to sustain high performance, the work of alignment had to be never-ending. All of this time led to the High Performance Model, which now forms the basis of my consulting, teaching, and writing.
