Strategy is not an ivory tower exercise. It’s also not magic.
Without a solid strategy, the organization cannot succeed because nobody knows where it is going or how they can help it get there. Without a plan to implement that strategy, nobody will be accountable for its success and nothing will happen. In fact, many people will be actively or passively working against the strategy, because they don’t see the point in disrupting the status quo that seems to be working well enough to deliver a paycheck.
There is a well-known study by McKinsey suggesting that two-thirds of all corporate strategic initiatives fail. There is a violent debate on the research (or lack of any research) behind that claim but the sad thing is that even the most vehement detractors don’t argue that these failures are only rare occurrence; the debate is whether the number might be as low as 45%. That’s still a very high failure rate for a company’s most important objectives and most significant investments.
Vision and strategy are not mystical incantations. The strategic planning process and tools that we use have been proven in thousands of organizations. Our staff have helped dozens of such entities, large and small, decide where they want to go and the major paths that must be taken to get there.
What’s different? We don’t just leave you with a fancy strategic plan document, suitable for display on a coffee-table. We help you to gain a general consensus on the viability of the plan and to manage the interaction of the various participants while leaving them free to execute using their expertise. We make sure that you follow up your plan with defined objectives, allocated resources, and responsible parties.
To learn more about our approach, and determine whether your situation is one that we can help with, contact us to set up an appointment at a time of your convenience.