Why So Many Strategies Stink

Is it time to refresh your strategy?
I'd love to help you with the hard choices that'll make the rest of your work life easier. Just flick me an email if you're looking for an independent facilitator.

Many of us have a love/hate relationship with strategy

Often when I'm brought in to facilitate a strategy process it'll be several months or years overdue. "Oh, we just didn't have the headspace for it," they'll say. "We were too busy for it."

And of course that's the point.

Feeling overwhelmed and busy is a sign that you're trying to do much.

It's a sign that your strategy is the keep-working-and-hope-it-works-out strategy.

You do have a strategy; it's just not a helpful one.

We often disagree about what strategy even entails

One of the first things I do when facilitating any strategy process is create a shared understanding of what we mean by strategy.

I never used to do this. But then I kept finding myself in arguments at the last minute about the difference between a purpose statement and a vision statement - as if that was the key thing that would shift the needle.

What is strategy then?

We can't define strategy without putting it into a bigger picture. Here's a 2-minute video of me explaining this like I do in workshops.

Let's unpack those four elements.

WHO - What makes your organisation unique?

This is your origin story. Your values. Principles. Cultural norms.

WHY - Why do you do what you do?

This is your purpose. It's your reason for being. It's your vision of what could be different in the world.

HOW - What are you saying 'no' to so you can say 'yes' to what really matters?

⬆️This is the heart of your strategy. It's a filter that makes you see the world differently and respond more effectively.

WHAT - What are you going to do?

This is your plan.

...

What do you think of those definitions?

To be honest, I don't care if you agree with them or not. That's not the point.

The point is that you actively define them. Agree on some definitions that work for you and your team.

Ultimately, strategy is about choices

Peter Drucker famously said that strategy is about omission.

It's not about putting all your ideas into categories and then fooling yourself into thinking you can do all of it. (I've tried that. It hurt.)

That's why I love this strategy question I've borrowed from Michael Bungay Stanier is his book The Coaching Habit:

What can we say 'no' to so we can say 'yes' to what really matters?

Unless you've said no to some really good ideas, you're not being strategic.

I'd love to help your organisation with its strategy development

Is it time to refresh your strategy? I'd love to help you with the hard choices that'll make the rest of your work life easier. Just flick me an email to tee up a time to chat.

Ngā mihi,
Paul

P.S. I was recently interviewed by author Howie Jacobson for the Plant Yourself podcast. If you're even slightly curious about the power of questions to influence change, you'll love this conversation. Listen here or watch here.