At our company, we have the privilege of being the strategy guys for a large number of customers ranging in size and shape from venture-backed tech startups to colleges to resorts to large police departments to industrial manufacturers and a wide variety of service organizations. Add to that frothy mix of markets, a variety of business structures that range from closely held families, to municipalities, public corporations and businesses that are owned by venture and PE firms, and it all becomes a wonderfully engaging puzzle of assembling future directions and the tactical building blocks to move from here to there.
Eisenhower on the eve of the invasion of Normandy stated... "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable", and I would somewhat agree.
Frequently, in our strategic sessions, I see the very positive impact of just the act of bringing the senior team together into a formal planning process as one of the primary benefits in itself. But I would modify and then extend Eisenhower's comment to... "In preparing for business strategy, I have often found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable", but the absolute primary benefit is having the team make unified choices.
Not making strategic choices is like playing tennis without a net. It's like having a sales manager just push for numbers without first making the tough decisions on the fundamental sales models and territories. It's like marketing any product without making firm decisions as to exactly what the inbound/outbound balance will be. Bottom line for being successful in business is that we absolutely need to make the tough strategic choices.
...and then push everyone on the team to make the tough choices, both individually and then as a team. This is not consensus building, but full and openly stated total agreements. You absolutely must ask for and hear an "Amen" from everyone as to the choices being made.
If you want a few ideas as to how to conduct your strategy processes, you can just reach out to Jack at jack@derbymanagement.com and get free advice, or you might want to click on to any of the following:
On another note, as I think about choices, it occurs to me that we still have about 90 days to think the tough choices of either Hillary or Donald. Like you, I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of people about the candidates. Not one sales meeting or strategic offsite that we're involved in now goes by without "the discussion". For some, it's an easy choice, while for others, they've told me that they simply are not going to vote, or worse, they plan to write in either Bernie or Cruz- two embarrassing non-choices.
My only request is to ask you to spread the word to your friends and associates to make sure that they go to the polling booth and do not waste their vote. In business, in politics, and in life, making the choice is always the most difficult, but also the most important thing that we can do. The outcome of this critical choice is that we must move ahead!
Have a superb weekend!
Similar to six month and annual health checkup, in a highly interactive four or five hours, we'll take everything apart and put it back together again probing, questioning, listening and pushing just a bit in order to provide you with an immediate assessment of what we see along with a number of immediate recommendations.
Depending on your focus, we can look at the company as a whole strategically or financially, or take a much more specific view into the inner workings of your sales and marketing departments.
Derby Management...for 25 years
-Sales & Marketing Productivity Experts
-Business & Strategy Planning Specialists
-Senior Management Coaches for CEOs & VPs
Box 171322, Boston, MA 02117
Jack's Cell: 617-504-4222