It felt like I was standing a little taller…moving with more confidence. I was headed down the airport corridor toward my gate, armed with a status that implied I was special…that I deserved a bit of pampering.
I was young and naive.
The ego boost was dashed when it became apparent that more than half of my fellow travelers that morning were more “elite” than I was. The label ascribing status meant nothing.
Several decades later we see this everywhere.
Does anyone really believe the VIP email list comes with any real perks? Are you confident you’re getting premium quality every time you see that label? Am I actually a preferred customer?
This is the problem with labels. They’re just words. Often over used to the point of meaning little.
“Strategy” has become just such a label.
It is used to infer importance…intended to say “this plan, initiative, decision, question or move rises above ordinary. It is “strategic” in nature.
I regularly talk to professional service organizations that invest significant resources in planning, launch initiatives, call them strategic, and await results commensurate with the weight of the label.
Then comes disruption.
It may be economic pressure. Or a consequential personnel change. Or a catastrophic event. Or the realization that it is taking too long to see any results.
Whatever form disruption takes, it is amazing how quickly the strategy becomes irrelevant, impractical or inconvenient.
Not strategic at all.
A Ghost Protocol
The numbers should scare us into at least rethinking our approach.
After investments of thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars, a breathtaking number of so-called strategic plans fizzle long before even modest goals are realized. Research puts the failure rate at between 60% and 90%, depending on the size of the organization and the industry.
Poor execution is typically cited as the reason for the failure. But the problem is greater than one of execution. It is one of alignment.
Here’s what I mean.
The degree to which principles, areas of focus and specific planning survive the honeymoon period often corresponds to the degree to which a subset of the plan found a champion.
Otherwise, and often even when a champion exists, only the pieces of the exercise that generate the least amount of organizational friction receive much attention.
Not strategic at all.
Over time, fragments of a direction haunt the entire idea of planning.
A lack of alignment in leadership and across divisions of the organization — that is, the absence of a shared view of how to address the future — gives rise to new frustrations. This results in a hit-or-miss rate when it comes to firm-wide adoption.
Eventually the feeling that there is no real direction, an especially uncomfortable feeling in a volatile marketplace, can prompt organizational leadership change. With a change comes a whole new batch of ideas for strategic direction.
Rinse and repeat.
What Constitutes Strategy?
Let’s talk about what “strategy” is not.
It is not tactics. Or a plan. Or an initiative.
Strategy is a philosophy. Seth Godin calls it the philosophy of becoming.
So, if we run with that for a moment, strategy provides the philosophical underpinnings that help define the steps you take in order realize what you hope to become.
There will certainly be disruptions to the steps put in place today. To deal with this, a plan of action must be able to flex and even change in order to become relevant in a new reality.
But an organization’s vision of what it hopes to become is much less subject to disruption. In fact, market shifts might serve to deepen an organization’s resolve around direction and purpose.
The challenge for most organizations frustrated by the planning process is that arriving at a shared philosophy of becoming is not easy. In fact, critical steps are often given short shrift, or ignored altogether.
A framework. Not A Plan.
Enter our three-part framework that creates alignment around a philosophy of becoming, and provides a foundation for effective planning.
Part One — Shared Vision
If the word “vision” is a stumbling block for you, replace it with “Aspirations.” The idea here is that a common goal…agreement on what you want to become…is the glue that holds things together. A lot can go sideways; but a shared vision keeps eyes fixed on the prize.
Part Two — Core Values
What three or four values do you and your team hold sacrosanct? Agreement here not only becomes important cultural fabric; it provides guardrails for every consequential decision you’ll face on the way to becoming.
Part Three — Prioritized Focus
If you find Vision and Values a bit too “soft,” this third part of the framework should appeal to the left side of your brain. Prioritizing focus is the science of what you hope to become. To the degree it is possible to identify (or create) a hierarchy that accelerates the journey at any turn, this should be agreed upon as foundational. And this jumpstarts the development of a plan of action.
Put this framework in place and you have the basis for alignment…something around which every single member of a team can rally. Not to mention, a life expectancy of more than six months for direction. When the unexpected happens, make the necessary tweaks to your plan of action without having to alter the philosophy that drives you.
You Have The Right To Name It
With all of this said, you should call it whatever suits you. Labels only matter when they provide accurate context. If it causes less friction, I would vote to label the entire process “Strategic Planning.” Just resist the temptation to skip over this three-part framework. It may not be your favorite thing to do; but it is the difference between plans that fail and those that actually function as instruments for becoming who and what you want to become.
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I work with a limited number of clients, who want to follow a proven framework for growth in order to build a business aligned with their aspirations. If you’d like information, send an email to eric@ericfletcherconsulting.com. We