How to ‘Strategy’

Ringier China May 2010

After this presentation you will not ‘know’ strategy. Strategy is an art, it takes time, practice, refinement, development. Most of strategy can be taught, but there still requires some kind of innate ‘sense’. Your brain is a muscle. Strategy is like golf for the brain. In golf you learn the basics, but it takes time, patience, practice and studying technique before your body can swing, without thinking, to hit the ball with precision and strength for a clean, far and straight shot. Strategy is like golf for the brain.

Here are the basics.

What is Strategy?

A logical process that ensures you’ve made the best decision given the information available.

Making proper decisions.

Start with the end in mind.What does your group want to be?

Research -- Analyze -- Insights -- Vision

ResearchWhat are current experts talking about?What do my customers want?What do my users want?What do my staff want?What is my competition doing?Where is this industry going?What is effecting my industry?What is effecting my organization? Team? Me?

AnalysisWhy are current experts talking about this?Why do my customers want this?Why do my users want this?Why do my staff want this?Why is my competition doing this?Why is this industry going there?Why is this effecting my industry?Why is this effecting my organization? Team? Me?

InsightsDoes this apply to me?

Does this matter?Why does this apply?

What does this mean about me?

VisionYou now know:

a) What is going onb) Why its important to you

c) Knowing what you should be now is easy.

Now create a vision for you and your staff. In words, pictures, charts, stories, etc.

Tactical Business Strategy

1/6

What does your organization/brand/business want

to be?

2/6

What is the situation?What is the opportunity?

3/6

Why this direction?What’s the point?

4/6

Why is this action important for your organization/brand/business Now?

Compare with your other existing initiatives

5/6

How will you achieve this action?

a. Time frameb. Resource: people, money, materials

c. Which tool/channels?

**If you find a problem, is it solvable? Or is the cost not worth achieving the action?

6/6

What is the expected result?

a. How do you measure to prove you’ve reached your goal?

(6) should match the answer to (1)!

A sustainable strategy.Lifestyle habit of acquiring info

+Foundation of critical questioning

=Databank of info, analysis & insight

…at your fingertips to help you develop strategy, and refine vision.

Resources

*Marketing Kit 101Competitive Strategy by Michael PorterThe Practice of Management by Peter DruckerThe Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. ChristensenBuilt to Last by Jim Collins & Jerry PorrasGood to Great by Jim CollinsIn Search of Excellence by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.Competing for the Future by Gary Hamel & C.K. Prahalad

Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the Industrial Enterprise by Alfred Chandler

The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization by Peter SengeThe Wisdom of the Crowds by James SuroweikiThe World is Flat by Thomas FriedmanThe Tipping Point by Malcolm GladwellOnly the Paranoid Survive by Andrew S. Grove The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley with Jonathan Littman

The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida