SET STRATEGY
WHY IT MATTERS
The role of a leader is to take their organization to new heights via a profound vision and clearly defined mission. To accomplish their vision a leader has to make it concrete by defining a strategy that translates it into everyday work. They have to have a strategy that defines what to do, who does it, where it happens, when, and how it should be done. Leaders who set strategy organize and unite the entire thrust of their organization around accomplishing its goals in a clear and systematic way. Everyone knows the destination, direction, and path they are to take. Leaders who don’t set a clear strategy for their work leave their organization without direction, effectively leaving their vision leaderless.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that set strategy understand their role is to ensure the entire organization has a clear definition for what their work is and the parameters within which it should be done. They know that others are looking to them to make decisions and set a path for how to achieve the vision that has been set. They don’t just give their organization a vision of what is possible, they help them create a concrete plan for its implementation and achievement.
Leaders that set strategy define what needs to be achieved and why it matters. They see their vision as their end destination, and their strategy as the roadmap for how to get there.
Leaders that set strategy know the importance of broadening their perspective. Before setting strategy, they study changes in their environment, competition, customers, stakeholders, and markets in which they operate. They see the strategic landscape clearly before deciding where to plant their strategic post.
Leaders that set strategy effectively keep their strategy simple. They don’t overcomplicate things. They determine how they can best position themselves to win at what they do, and then they go for it. They don’t get bogged down in creating strategy that is too complicated for anyone to remember or effectively act on.
Leaders that set strategy transform their strategy into practical working plans. They explicitly outline who plays what roles, the sequence of the work to be done, the resources that will be required, the timelines and milestones that need to be achieved, and the metrics and measures that will be used to inform and report results. They know that a strategy without a plan is only a wish list.
Leaders that set strategy don’t do it alone. They value the thinking of others. They look to expertise other than their own to answer key strategic questions. They don’t require consensus to finalize decisions, but they are passionate about taking into account the thoughts and feelings of others to ensure they account for every contingency.
Leaders that set strategy communicate their strategy effectively. They ensure everyone shares the same picture of where they are going and how they will get there. They create a dispersed but united message. They make sure that strategies are not just understood, but followed.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
The role of a leader is to take their organization to new heights via a profound vision and clearly defined mission. To accomplish their vision a leader has to make it concrete by defining a strategy that translates it into everyday work. They have to have a strategy that defines what to do, who does it, where it happens, when, and how it should be done. Leaders who set strategy organize and unite the entire thrust of their organization around accomplishing its goals in a clear and systematic way. Everyone knows the destination, direction, and path they are to take. Leaders who don’t set a clear strategy for their work leave their organization without direction, effectively leaving their vision leaderless.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that set strategy understand their role is to ensure the entire organization has a clear definition for what their work is and the parameters within which it should be done. They know that others are looking to them to make decisions and set a path for how to achieve the vision that has been set. They don’t just give their organization a vision of what is possible, they help them create a concrete plan for its implementation and achievement.
Leaders that set strategy define what needs to be achieved and why it matters. They see their vision as their end destination, and their strategy as the roadmap for how to get there.
Leaders that set strategy know the importance of broadening their perspective. Before setting strategy, they study changes in their environment, competition, customers, stakeholders, and markets in which they operate. They see the strategic landscape clearly before deciding where to plant their strategic post.
Leaders that set strategy effectively keep their strategy simple. They don’t overcomplicate things. They determine how they can best position themselves to win at what they do, and then they go for it. They don’t get bogged down in creating strategy that is too complicated for anyone to remember or effectively act on.
Leaders that set strategy transform their strategy into practical working plans. They explicitly outline who plays what roles, the sequence of the work to be done, the resources that will be required, the timelines and milestones that need to be achieved, and the metrics and measures that will be used to inform and report results. They know that a strategy without a plan is only a wish list.
Leaders that set strategy don’t do it alone. They value the thinking of others. They look to expertise other than their own to answer key strategic questions. They don’t require consensus to finalize decisions, but they are passionate about taking into account the thoughts and feelings of others to ensure they account for every contingency.
Leaders that set strategy communicate their strategy effectively. They ensure everyone shares the same picture of where they are going and how they will get there. They create a dispersed but united message. They make sure that strategies are not just understood, but followed.
BELIEFS
- Your vision and mission describe what you need to accomplish. Your strategy defines how you will accomplish it.
- A strategy is no good unless you can actually make it happen, no matter how good it sounds or looks on paper.
- Having a strategy isn’t enough. To be great a strategy needs to be better than the strategy of your competitors.
- If you create and set strategy in a box, without the involvement of others, you are sure to miss something you can’t afford to miss.
- Even the best strategies will need adjustments and possible changes midstream, so be flexible.
- A strategy won’t mean anything if it hasn’t been clearly communicated to those who have to make it happen.
- One of the biggest challenges to setting strategy is the temptation to make it more complicated than it really needs to be.
- The rule for strategy is to keep it simple and keep it actionable. Don’s miss the obvious answers to what you should do.
BEST PRACTICES
- Involve others in the strategy-setting process.
- Keep strategies simple and actionable.
- Focus on possibilities, not just realities.
- Build clear and shared understanding.
- Define everyone’s part in the strategy.
- Plan for how to make your vision possible.
- Implement your strategies.
- Keep an eye continually towards the future.
- Communicate the strategy to everyone.
- Talk about the strategy in ways people understand.
- Don’t work without a strategy behind you.
- Balance theory with practicality.
- Set your strategy as the first thing you do.
- Answer who, what, when, how, and why.
- Don’t take too long setting your strategy.
- Set aside dedicated time to think about strategy.
- Change your strategy when you need to.
- Be aware of the strategies of your competitors.
- Make your strategy simple and memorable.
- Help others see what the strategy is and is not.
- Use data to inform your strategy.
- Don’t back down from your strategy.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I have a strategy in place for how the organization will achieve its vision, or have I left the vision undefined?
- Do I align the strategy to our stated vision, or do I make it hard for people to connect the two?
- Do I put into words who, what, where, when and how the work should be done, or do I fail to give clear direction?
- Do I know the world around me well enough to set a strategy, or do I set strategy in a limited silo of understanding?
- Do I keep the strategy as simple as possible, or do I make it overly complex to the point of being unhelpful?
- Do I make the strategy actionable, or do I allow it to just be words on a piece of paper?
- Do I involve others in the strategy setting process, or do I try and do it all by myself?
- Do I frequently communicate the strategy so everyone “gets it”, or do I just hope people understand it?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t get stuck in strategy paralysis and take so much time creating your strategy that it’s completed too little too late.
- Don’t create a strategy that is so complex and all-encompassing that it actually complicates work instead of directing it.
- Don’t get so caught up in the clouds of possibility that you fail to make your strategy simple, actionable, and doable.
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
- I can easily simplify a complex situation.
- I like the process of exploration.
- Our leadership is able to integrate processes across the organization.
- I can balance my day-to-day operations with the grander vision.
- I’m successful in communicating progress to management.
- I frequently question my motivation and ask, “why am I doing this”?