Already have the strategy?

I have some more good news. You probably already have or have thought about the business strategy that works for your business. We don’t need to start from scratch. We need to start with where you are and what you have and move forward from there. I’ll help you to look at this strategy to ensure it’s holistic.

Now, some bad news. The work I do with leaders often isn’t big and exciting and sexy. No, I work in reality at the intersection of strategy and people. I like to help you articulate a holistic business strategy and then delve into the things that need to happen to execute it.

Together, we’ll identify and address real barriers and set clear priorities so we move ahead. If I’m not an expert in an area (oh, there are many of these!), don’t worry, I won’t pretend to be. I’ll connect you with the best in that space so we can dive in, listen, learn, and make progress in the area that’s most important to moving forward. I’m thrilled to have a growing list of partners with various specialties.

I’m not immune – wish I was – but I can tell you I want to get in better shape as I munch on a Snickers®. Yep – dream and day-to-day are often compartmentalized in our brains. We often separate them in business, too. Think about your company’s “strategic planning”. Was it an off-site for a few hours annually or is strategy your guide daily in conversations and decision making? I know, I know…

Taking ideas to dialogue is not too good to be true. But it’s hard. It often means saying NO to some things that perhaps you and others in your organization are used to and are tied in with your identity. My fight isn’t against anything except excuses. Decisions to not do something are not excuses. They are decisions. Not doing something because we’re pretending to do further analysis and need more data, well, I’ll argue that often this is simply a fear and stall tactic to avoid making a tough decision.

If you can’t make the decision in front of you, figure out why not and then reframe it. Sounds easy, right? It’s not. It’s hard. But you can do it. If you can’t do all of it, break it into bite-sized chunks and start there. I used to tell people to crawl, walk then run. Now, I begin with sitting up! Don’t apologize for where you are. Just be brave enough to articulate what current state is (without the rose-colored glasses) so you can get somewhere else. It’s OK. No judgement. It’s all of us.

What’s worked in your organization to move “strategy” into the day-to-day conversations, decisions and work?

I look forward to hearing from you.