The podcast explores the shortcomings of traditional strategies, the importance of aligning strategy with execution, and the role of scenario planning. They discuss personal reflections on planning and the need for strategic conversations as a key step in implementing the strategy pattern.
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Quick takeaways
Creating a strategy stack allows organizations to have a clear direction, foster a strategic mindset, and avoid a disconnected exercise.
Scenario planning helps leaders anticipate and adapt to changes, improving strategic agility and ability to navigate uncertainty.
Deep dives
The importance of having a strategy stack
Creating a strategy stack is crucial for organizations to have a clear direction and ensure alignment. The stack includes a long-term vision, a mid-term aim, short-term outcomes, and a prioritization tool. These components work together in a looping manner, allowing for adjustments and adaptations over time. Regular conversations and revisions are key, with the stack serving as a guide for decision-making and focus. By implementing a strategy stack, organizations can avoid the pitfall of strategy becoming a disconnected exercise and instead foster a strategic mindset throughout the organization.
The value of scenario planning
Scenario planning is an effective tool for exploring possible futures and building a more comprehensive understanding of the external environment. It involves considering various trends, potential disruptors, and external factors that could impact the organization's trajectory. Scenario planning helps leaders anticipate and adapt to changes, enabling them to make informed decisions and identify new opportunities. By regularly engaging in scenario planning exercises, organizations can enhance their strategic agility and improve their ability to navigate uncertainty.
The need for attentiveness to market trends
Leaders often overlook the importance of paying attention to market trends and external signals. Actively monitoring and analyzing market dynamics, emerging technologies, and industry shifts provides valuable insights for strategic decision-making. This includes seeking diverse perspectives, engaging with advisors, and staying informed about the broader landscape. By cultivating a habit of scanning the external environment, leaders can better anticipate changes, spot opportunities, and align their strategies accordingly.
Taking the first steps towards better strategy
To enhance strategic thinking and execution, organizations should schedule dedicated time for strategic conversations. Allocating at least two hours for open discussions and sense-making can kickstart the process. Additionally, leaders should consider sharing their strategy stack with someone outside their immediate domain to gain fresh perspectives and insights. By developing these habits and engaging in ongoing strategic dialogue, organizations can build strategic muscle, make better-informed decisions, and adapt more effectively to evolving circumstances.
It's January! New beginnings? Ambitious plans? Giant commitments to change? They’re on everyone’s mind. Companies included—since now’s the time when glossy PowerPoint decks are so eagerly rolled out. And those PowerPoints? They’re always brimming with promise for the year ahead.
But there's a glaring disconnect between those slides (all 73 of them) and eventual success we often don’t address. Because how frequently do those meticulously crafted plans pan out? Does the new agenda account for the day-to-day running of the company? Is the plan flexible enough to handle economic curveballs? (We remember 2020, right?)
The reality is that “traditional strategy” often resembles New Year's resolutions; they’re imbued with good intentions but ultimately destined for disappointment.
In this episode of "At Work with The Ready," (new year, new podcast name!) co-hosts Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin explore our deep-rooted conditioning toward conventional planning methods (despite their shortcomings), share what a more complexity conscious approach to strategy looks like, and give you moves to start busting up the annual cycles of frustration, stagnancy, and finger-pointing.