David Wilsey

"Successful leaders and managers need a disciplined way to rise above what Stephen Covey called the whirlwind of day-to-day activity. We're all so consumed by putting out fires or keeping the trains running--pick your cliché--that we never stop to figure out what we want to accomplish. There are many models to choose from, but the Institute Way is as comprehensive and as disciplined as any I've seen."

David is a strategic planning and performance measurement specialist with more than 20 years of experience. His skills include consulting, engineering, marketing, manufacturing, design, programming, research, education and writing. He became particularly interested in strategy and measurement when working as a piston designer for drag race cars.

"I learned that strategic alignment requires more than having the boss tell people what to do. Our strategy was to create highly customized products for people willing to pay a premium price. I understood this because I worked directly with the CEO, but our sales team didn't and would regularly try to sell customers on price. This disconnect was a direct result of our not having a formal structure to manage and communicate strategy. That was also the first time I experienced the difficulty most organizations have with measurement; even when they approach it systematically, they often get it wrong."

David leads the Institute's instructional design and e-learning programs. He oversees our professional certification programs, teaching public and client site certification workshops. He also is a co-author of the Association for Strategic Planning SMP/SPP/SPA Certification Exam Study Guide published by the Strategy Professional Resource Center (see http://www.strategyprocenter.com/asp-exam-study-guide.html). A popular speaker, David has been featured at the semi-annual IQPC/BSI Strategic Performance and Change Management conferences, as well as events hosted by Robert Half, Actuate Inc., the Association for Strategic Planning and the International Society of Performance Improvement.

"I translate abstract academic concepts into concrete ideas that solve specific problems. It's rare that I can't find a story from my work experience to explain a topic or demonstrate a solution."

In his client work, David helps organizations improve performance through strategic focus, communications, organizational alignment, prioritization and improved customer value propositions. He provides consulting, facilitation, training and expert analysis.

"I'm not distracted by the fact that different organizations have different ways of thinking about things. Whether it's the U.S. Army, Blue Man Group, a United Nations agency or different types of private companies, I adapt quickly to different cultures to help clients articulate their goals and measure their progress."