You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Strategy’ tag.
It’s real easy for me to get immersed in the details of the day. It makes me feel good to be busy and “productive.”
But I need to spend time getting back to the basics, the big picture. Why? Because it gives perspective to focus on the most important things.
A recent example was an offer I had to do some work for a group who approached me. I love what they do, but it’s also more work for me and I’m cautious about taking on obligations right now.
Read the rest of this entry »Where does your strategy come from?
If you’re spending most of your energy looking at the competition, then I argue that:
- By definition, you’re behind.
- There are several others who probably “own” that space more than you do.
Don’t get me wrong: You need to be aware of competitive moves, and incorporate what you see. It’s just a lousy way to direct your strategy.
Read the rest of this entry »No doubt you’ve heard the term that’s been in vogue with entrepreneurs for a few years: Pivot your business.
As a skeptical outsider, it looks like an excuse for someone getting bored, who can’t commit to the hard work of building and running a company. And there is some truth to that.
But it’s not the whole story.
Read the rest of this entry »I was recently asked about what to do when it feels like you need to change the core purpose of your business. Another person answered that “your core purpose is always to return money to your shareholders, that never changes.”
I believe that attitude is fifty years out of date.
Sure, if you choose to create a company which is merely about extracting money from your customers and giving it to your investors, fine. But that’s not the people I’m working with.
Read the rest of this entry »
PLANNING IS FANTASTIC, but it has one big problem:
Reality gets in the way.
You go to all this work to create the fully robust plan, to get everyone on board, even to test various scenarios. It’s wonderful! But the plan was put in a binder on the shelf, never to be opened again.
Why is that?
YOU’RE SCARED TO TAKE the next step.
And it’s not even a bet-the-farm situation, where you have to put everything on the line. This is actually a reasonable decision, but you’re stuck on tradeoffs between different requirements and points of view.
There’s a way to break out of this paralysis.
Scientific researchers run experiments, and huge progress is made. So let’s do the same thing here.
YOUR BRAND ISN’T WHAT YOU SAY IT IS.
It’s defined by what others think about you.
Isn’t that frustrating? Here you’re spending all this effort and money to create a strong brand image. Does it matter at all?
Yes, but not the way you’d like it to.
Your work at developing your identity and reputation is about how you want your organization to behave. You see, every touchpoint makes up what the market thinks about you. Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 