Good strategy is making choices and meaning it
I’m often asked to talk to groups and lead workshops for new entrepreneurs on strategic thinking. (I even get paid for it occasionally). In a nutshell, here’s what I say:
Clearly define your offer and how to fulfil it
- For the customer, investor, supplier and employee
- What, why, when, how, where, who?
- What not, why not, when not, how not, where not, who not?
Keep it simple
- Consistent, understandable, doable, communicable
- Simpler is easier, less risky, concentrates resources for maximum impact
Do it!
- Do the stuff you decided to do
- Cut out the stuff you decided not to do
- Fix problems before clearing backlogs
- Build the processes, organisation and style
- Put in place the people, resources and priorities
- Dedicate people to make change happen
- Measure, report and communicate progress on the strategy (up and down)
Think & act for greatness!
Simple, really. Any questions?
Trackback uri
April 17th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
[…] En Avant » Blog Archive » Good strategy is making choices and meaning it: […]
April 18th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Welcome to the blogging world Jim.
And I echo another comment, looking forward to some lively debate
June 21st, 2007 at 10:52 pm
[…] posted a while ago that ‘Good strategy is making choices and meaning it‘. As a CEO, I only do 4 […]
August 1st, 2007 at 6:22 pm
[…] like a broken record on this: ‘ good strategy is making choices and meaning it‘. That goes for any business - big or small, old or new. Trackback […]
November 10th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
[…] my earlier “strategic thinking” themes, I was going to write an article about branding, with the key […]
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:52 pm
[…] have lots of irons in the fire. I’d argue that that’s absolutely the riskiest strategy. Strategic thinking is about making choices and meaning it. You concentrate your resources on your unique strengths, […]
January 16th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
[…] also a branding consultant, especially in business sectors facing seismic change. I focus on “the market offer” and how that is carried through into every aspect of strategy and […]
January 22nd, 2008 at 5:54 am
[…] En Avant: Business bloggers bat breeze in Bay bistro […]
March 13th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
[…] want what your brand stands for? Building a great brand, like any aspect of good strategy, requires making choices and meaning it. Trackback […]
June 26th, 2008 at 2:31 am
[…] knew what the answer must be. My closing line in my set-piece talk on strategic thinking is: Think and act for […]