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THE MENTALSCAPE OF STRATEGY6/27/2022 There are many sites for strategic insights. None of these make sense if the mentalscape of leaders is confused, tentative, and cluttered.
Many distractions and wrong routes to getting this right in the minds of leaders, which include: - muddled up ideas and process on strategy; - political considerations and dynamics within; - confusing strategy with program thrusts and value-driven motivations; - pleasing all stakeholders for the sake of appeasement; - not budgeting for monitoring, implementation and evaluation of the strategy outcomes; - delegating the process to 'one or two people' in the organization; - using a strategy as a a tick-box solution for other ills in the organization; - short-term thinking; As a leader, you better know why you're doing this and what outcomes you're seeking. Just because the old one is expiring soon, it doesn't mean that you should automatically create a new one without further introspection. Declutter your mentalscape. Protect it from distractions and short-term mindset. When you do, the vision becomes clearer, the process is straightforward, and your budget is maximized on value.
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DON'T INCLUDE THE KITCHEN SINK5/12/2022 It's that time of the year. I was on the phone a few months ago, with the Executive Director who was looking for a Strategic Planning service. As usual, the conversation went as far as detailing the needs, specifications, and the rationale for reaching out for an external resource. Let's break the four misconceptions about strategies and strategic formulation, in general. 1. Get the text out soon. The product is important but there's more to the written text The process dynamics will be so rich that you should capture the momentum to bring your organization to another level of development or competency. Strategy exercises expend a lot of energy and resources, do it all with care and devotion, it will have positive compounding effects. 2. We begin from zero every time. The process is not linear and you don't have to start all over again The brick-and-mortar style can be shortened, there is no hard and fast rule on stages and how organizations should approach the strategy development. Use your prior strategic decisions to move you forward on a long-term path unless there's a big reason to make a radical right turn. 3. We don't have to implement them. Yes you do. It doesn't mean that you have to implement them all at once and with equal amounts of strategies and tactics. Implementation is an art and a science. There are bridging processes to ensure that the old strategy gives way to the new one without cutting off continuing impacts. It's like buying an expensive exercise machine and not using it or winning the lottery and returning the money back. Get the point? 4. We want to include a specific commitment to (another motherhood value statement). You can't include the kitchen sink, sorry. Remember, its your strategic direction- how you are going to act in the face of internal and external challenges, constraints, and opportunities to achieve your goals. Unless, it's strategic, leave it to the values section. Read this before you call someone for external support or talk to your Board or staff so you can get on with the program. Call me when you're ready to proceed.
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I asked this question because many organizational executives are comfortably in a fear mode in these difficult times. What's the next disruption that will derail, disrupt, disembowel your organization's market positioning? or for that matter, your reason for being? what is the most existential threat likely to happen in the next five years? If it's the fear of the uncertain/unknown that drives your executives to grind down everyday, you better back up and check that the fear is a positive fear that you can control and manage. If it's the fear of being left out/missing out in the trend-train, check the rational behind the impulse, and fall back to where you are actually generating sustainable outcomes. If it's survival and modest growth, plan to pivot when you can transition comfortably in the next 3 years, until such a time when you have the golden opportunity to create this new future. If it's growing and reclaiming lost ground, there is no better time, than now. Get consensus and act on what you have existing at the moment. "What's driving you forward?" is a better question than "What drives your executives sleepless at night?" You need to capitalize on the dynamics of forward-motion than the idealized notions of lessons learned. And I hope you're not running around a carousel. |