Some organizations will invest in strategy extensively and ensure it is integral to their business operations and culture. This is for a good reason. Organizations that invest in understanding where they are going are inevitably far more efficient in getting there.
We do not embark on a road trip to be efficient and get there on time without knowing where we are going. But, unfortunately, far too many organizations, including small ones, believe that the answer to their issues or the way forward for growth is to undertake several activities and diversify their market. When we do so, we lose focus of our overall objective, and this is not only an issue internally, but externally as well when it comes to our clients, partners, and the communities we serve.
We should look to describe our strategy in a few words, possibly a sentence at most. When we can do so, we have greater clarity in what we make or do, how we are different, who we specifically serve, and how we do so. Consider the areas where you have ambiguity: it is often hard to reconcile these elements. As a result, our brand and messaging are all too confusing as well. We are not able to hire as quickly, and productivity is an issue if measured at all.
When developing our strategy, it may bode well to analyze our intent and assess where we add value to consumers and the bottom line: which services and products are most desired and viable? In so doing, seeking less and simplifying your model will translate to improved results and increased profits.
Asking ourselves what we can be great at may be eye-opening for many. In doing so, we may arrive at our focus, which we should follow up with the questions of ‘what should we do more of?’, ‘what do we start doing?’ and just as importantly, ‘what should we stop doing?’
This may sound simple but as we often know, doing simple is not simple at all.
