5 things that happen when you really know your strategy

Wow---what a succinct way to know you (and those you lead "get your strategy").  This post is from an interesting group Anectdote in Australia, focused on the power of storytelling in organizations. Wonderful diagram of their work is below.  Worth a look and they offer a very useful newsletter!

Here are five things that happen when you really do know your strategy:

1. you know when to say 'no.'
2. you get better support from your colleagues--they are trying to achieve the same things
3. you can wing it with confidence--the strategy is your safety net
4. you can focus on doing the right things rather than just doing things right
5. you can act with more autonomy because you know where others are going, and autonomy is motivating

Leading Change from the Middle

 

Yesterday we completed the Spring session of our on-campus Stanford Advanced Project Management (SAPM) program with students from all over the world, Global Fortune 100 firms, and innovative non-profits. (Note--apply or register for the SAPM Summer session June 12-17 here.)  I had the privilege of working with Tim Wasserman, IPS Learning CLO, Shirzad Charmine of Coaches Training Institute, and Dr. Behnam Tabrizi, author of Rapid Transformation: A 90-Day Plan for Fast and Effective Change, in delivering Leading Change from the Middle. The book and Behnam's research served as one of the anchors for the course.

We had a fantastic, energetic, enthusiastic class with folks from around the world.  The class comraderie added to the vivid discussions we had around a variety of case studies as well as guest lecturer from HP.  One student, an Aussie working in Switzerland, even had her young baby and husband with her.

Some ideas and concepts from the course discussions include:

• Change yourself first, than help others
• Fast is better...always.
• Be willing to change...transformation requires agility and adaptability.
• Though working from the middle, top executive support is required.
• Purpose matters--principles first...then methodology.
• 90 days is not long, work fast, work smart

Test your strategy against these ten tests

McKinsey has an interesting set of questions to ask about your strategy.

Most companies past fewer than four of these.  Compare how the strategies you support meet these tests.  Great source for team and direct report discussions about the alignment of your work with your strategy.  Don't know your organization's strategies...ask!

• Test 1: Will your strategy beat the market?
• Test 2: Does your strategy tap a true source of advantage?
• Test 3: Is your strategy granular about where to compete?
• Test 4: Does your strategy put you ahead of trends?
• Test 5: Does your strategy rest on privileged insights
• Test 6: Does your strategy embrace uncertainty?
• Test 7: Does your strategy balance commitment and flexibility?
• Test 8: Is your strategy contaminated by bias?
• Test 9: Is there conviction to act on your strategy?
• Test 10: Have you translated your strategy into an action plan?