Strategy Made SimplerStrategy Made Simpler

Charles Kingsmill

charleskingsmill.com

Charles Kingsmill

charleskingsmill.com

Companies have...Companies have...•‘Accounts’ to delude their shareholders -

•‘Values’ to delude their employees -

•and ‘Strategies’ to delude themselves.

•‘Accounts’ to delude their shareholders -

•‘Values’ to delude their employees -

•and ‘Strategies’ to delude themselves.

Common reactions to the word ‘strategy’

Common reactions to the word ‘strategy’

•jargon-y...

•off-putting...

•difficult...

•something the top brass worry about...

•not really relevant... or realistic...

•jargon-y...

•off-putting...

•difficult...

•something the top brass worry about...

•not really relevant... or realistic...

Some key strategic questions from ‘The Strategy Geek’s Guide to Appearing Lofty &

Important’

Some key strategic questions from ‘The Strategy Geek’s Guide to Appearing Lofty &

Important’

•What is your burning platform?

•What are your core competencies?

•What are your vision, your mission, your goals, and your objectives?

•What are your key action steps?

•What are your critical success factors?

•What is your burning platform?

•What are your core competencies?

•What are your vision, your mission, your goals, and your objectives?

•What are your key action steps?

•What are your critical success factors?

A rough English translation:

A rough English translation:

•Where do we want to go?

•How do we get there?

•What’s stopping us?

•What could help us?

•... and that’s strategy in a nutshell

•Where do we want to go?

•How do we get there?

•What’s stopping us?

•What could help us?

•... and that’s strategy in a nutshell

Wanted:

a clear way to ‘do’ strategy...

think about it... discuss it...agree it... explain it...

because strategy should be acontinuous conversation

Wanted:

a clear way to ‘do’ strategy...

think about it... discuss it...agree it... explain it...

because strategy should be acontinuous conversation

Shared Visual ThinkingShared Visual Thinking

Why this approach?Why this approach?•It’s visual not just verbal

•It’s easy to share

•You can zoom out to the big picture or zoom in to the detail

•Over time, you can decide what’s important & what’s not

•You can update it easily

•You can compare & contrast the present & future

•It’s visual not just verbal

•It’s easy to share

•You can zoom out to the big picture or zoom in to the detail

•Over time, you can decide what’s important & what’s not

•You can update it easily

•You can compare & contrast the present & future

Two IslandsTwo Islands

Where you are now Where you want to beWhere you are now Where you want to be

Question 1.

Thinking about recruiting disabled graduates...

where do you want to get to?

Describe success as vividly as you can

Subsidiary questions:

If you knew you couldn’t fail,what would you aim to achieve?

What would make you feel proud?

Question 1.

Thinking about recruiting disabled graduates...

where do you want to get to?

Describe success as vividly as you can

Subsidiary questions:

If you knew you couldn’t fail,what would you aim to achieve?

What would make you feel proud?

Question 2.

How will you get there?

List the 3 or 4 main stages - in sequence

Subsidiary questions:

What is the sequence of events?When do the major decisions have to be taken?

What are the tasks in each stage?

Question 2.

How will you get there?

List the 3 or 4 main stages - in sequence

Subsidiary questions:

What is the sequence of events?When do the major decisions have to be taken?

What are the tasks in each stage?

What’s stopping you?What’s stopping you?

Outcome = Ambition minus Resistance

Outcome = Ambition minus Resistance

Resistance = Fear

Four thoughts about overcoming

fear/resistance

Four thoughts about overcoming

fear/resistance•Invert the pyramid

•Appeal to organisational values and identity (like MLK’s I Have a Dream speech)

•Use the world’s most powerful marketing formulation: problem - solution (“headache - take Anadin”)

•Help others to overcome their own fears

•Invert the pyramid

•Appeal to organisational values and identity (like MLK’s I Have a Dream speech)

•Use the world’s most powerful marketing formulation: problem - solution (“headache - take Anadin”)

•Help others to overcome their own fears

Question 3.

What’s stopping you?

What challenges do you have to overcome?What resistance do you face?

Particularly, what internal resistance do you face?

Question 3.

What’s stopping you?

What challenges do you have to overcome?What resistance do you face?

Particularly, what internal resistance do you face?

Question 4.

What could help you?

What are all the resources available to you?

individuals, teams & organisations (inside & out)...

mentors / sponsors...skills / aptitudes / passion / willpower...... as well as time, money, materials...

Question 4.

What could help you?

What are all the resources available to you?

individuals, teams & organisations (inside & out)...

mentors / sponsors...skills / aptitudes / passion / willpower...... as well as time, money, materials...

Summary of key pointsSummary of key points•Strategy doesn’t have to be intimidating

•It’s a continuous conversation, in plain English

•Keep track of the conversation - use the template

•Update it over time

•Remember Island A and Island B. Picture Island B as clearly as you can

•Explore what’s holding you back, personally

•Strategy doesn’t have to be intimidating

•It’s a continuous conversation, in plain English

•Keep track of the conversation - use the template

•Update it over time

•Remember Island A and Island B. Picture Island B as clearly as you can

•Explore what’s holding you back, personally