Got a question about how to establish a Strategic Profile for your organization. While the exact process takes some time and practice, I thought I could share the key 15 questions executives need to ask regarding their organization. The answers to these questions will begin the process of creating a strategic profile for your organization.

So here are the 15 Question for looking at your current Strategic Profile… Continue reading ‘15 Questions for Strategic Profile creation’ »

I got an interesting question from a client last week as I was writing about Strategic Planning or I prefer to call it – Strategic Thinking. An executive asked me “What is Strategic Thinking?” At first I thought this was  a trick question with a hidden agenda, yet after a couple of questions, I realized it was a genuine question from a person who I assumed should know the answer ( errant assumptions are still the root cause of all poor decisions.).

Most executive teams will openly discuss growth and market share, yet, seldom do they really get down to the specifics of what is the best route to take the organization into the future. There is some discussion about the organizational structure of the company and who reports to whom. Yet, is that really strategic thinking? Yet, I find that most executives are following the path created by market momentum, which is directly related to the health of the economy. Therefore, this is more status quo than Strategic Thinking.

Okay, so here is the answer to the question – What is Strategic Thinking? … Continue reading ‘What is Strategic Thinking?’ »

I had an interesting discussion last week with an executive who suggested that Strategic Planning was of NO Value during this economic downturn. This was intriguing to me as a short sighted statement from a very smart individual. Sorry if that sounds arrogant, yet, I have experienced this type of economic downturn in a regional group of states during the mid-80’s. And, the key to surviving is to totally understand your options and making the critical choices for success. Winging it is not an option.

Assuming that you agree that Strategic Planning is still – if not more – important today, what do you do differently in your strategic thinking process? There are three things you want to cover in your current planning activities. These include the following… Continue reading ‘Three Strategic Planning To-Do’s during Tough Times’ »

To follow the lead of a previous post regarding the unknown being an 800 lb gorilla, several people have asked me about “how do you deal with the unknown?” So, today is a how to of dealing with the unknown or uncertainty.

We need to become comfortable with the concept of contingency planning. This is a form of creativity being applied to the planning process or the classic “what if …” application of dealing with possibilities. Think of it as simply looking at alternative courses of action.

Being prepared by thinking about possible scenarios of events is the mark of true winners and the best leaders. Why? Because they prepare in advance for the possible changes in the current environment. This allows for individuals and leaders to remain calm in the face of chaos in the eyes of others. Calmness in the face of adversity is a characteristic of great leaders.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a great strategist who was prepared for multiple contingencies as a General of the French army. He thought about every possibility that could occur during a battle and developed a plan to deal with it if it happened. Thus, he has very successful for an extended period of time – when longevity was not a given. Continue reading ‘Planning for the Unknown’ »