The 5 Qualities of Disciplined Strategic Governance Clarity of Communication If people can’t clearly understand the path forward, they will make their own decisions on how best to proceed in business; not all of those decisions will be the right ones. Clearly telling the story of strategy, that engages and animates people into action, provides [...]
Hey, Why Don’t We NOT Reinvent The Wheel Again?! Similar to other business units within the organization, here within the Marketing and Communications team, we find there is always some repetition. Whether it’s arranging the logistics for an event, running a campaign or creating beautiful infographics, many fundamental things may begin the same each time. [...]
How Versus Why - Comparing Strategies to Focus Areas Last month I introduced our concept of a 3 dimensional strategy pyramid. To be a complete graphical representation of the complex world of strategic execution, the pyramid requires depth as there are multiple variables needed to measure the quality of execution performance (what we call “strategic [...]
Everyone Needs a Strategy Pyramid When you Google image search “strategy pyramid” not surprisingly you get a vast amount of results; your browser will be chocka with an array of multicolored representations depicting the best way to illustrate a business strategy. So what do they have in common? Apart from the rampant use of [...]
Strategic Waffle Anyone? The anatomy of a strategic plan is an interesting thing, for the most part they follow a standard approach and framework. At the highest level we have an extremely broad, all encompassing statement. It must be so broad that it encapsulates everything that the organization strives to be and stands for. It [...]
Let's Talk about the Numbers - Introducing Metrics Zone A key ‘aha!’ moment when working with new customers is when they visualize the direct relationship between their outputs (directed strategic activities, the things that people do) and the specific outcomes (a key performance metrics or measure) that show the quantified result of those activities. Are [...]
We’ve Agreed on our Strategic Vision, Now What? I have a problem with key performance indicators (KPI’s). Matt Groening and Homer Simpson once famously said “Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!”. I can’t accept an organization can be purely driven by numbers only. There are any number [...]
A Strategic Plan or a Plan for Growth? The classic strategic plan, resulting from a rigid strategic planning process, is so often viewed with skepticism, if not complete distrust by those individuals tasked with execution. It receives its fair share of jibes from staff around the water cooler and generally for good reason. Sadly as [...]
The Wild Side of Corporate Strategy It’s time to get a little wild with your strategy. Not party wild, but literally time to take notes from the wilds of the animal kingdom. Every animal has their survival strategy: fast, strong, smart. Perhaps your business strategy could use a little insight from a wilder world. [...]
Marketing lessons from Seth Godin “In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible” - Seth Godin Seth Godin is a best-selling author and entrepreneur and is one of the most prominent and influential names in marketing today. Godin has worked in [...]
