Develop a Winning Strategy

In the previous discussion of the roadmap for strategy, mention was made of the three to twelve strategic actions necessary to reach the organization’s Vision. Determining those strategies is an enigma to many but need not be that hard.

After many years of having the responsibility of developing the corporate strategic plan and hiring the best-known consultants in the country to guide us, it was obvious there had to be a better way. We usually ended up with a thick binder that looked impressive sitting on the shelf but no one ever opened it until the following year to see what we had said last year. Sometimes management even locked up the few copies so employees would not leave and leak strategy to competitors. In either case not much was provided to employees to give guidance in making decisions during the year. Strategy Management© is a better system for developing strategy and achieving results.

The light bulb went on while accompanying Dr. Deming on consulting visits. He did not pontificate to clients but asked penetrating questions and then kept quiet while they struggled for answers. In this way, he learned of problems and opportunities. The collection of these questions along with those of other respected leaders and my own experience is the basis of discussion topics to trigger ideas leading to development of the winning strategy.

Prior to the planning event, assignments of topics and the associated questions are handed out to individuals of the planning team for research. These topics are:

· Organization viewed as a system

· Vision

· Principles of Management (Values)

· Ideal Conditions

· Mission

· Customers’ Needs and Wants

· Employees’ Needs and Wants

· Owners’ Needs and Wants

· Competition

· Marketplace

· Technology

· Internal Conditions

· External Conditions

· Strengths

· Weaknesses

· Opportunities

· Threats

· Financial

· Operating Requirements

· Products/Service

· Structure

For large organizations, these topics are researched, including answers to the questions provided, are presented at a formal planning event. For small organizations, one or more individuals simply review the questions. In either case, all involved have a pad of 3X3 inch “sticky note” paper and a Sharpie pen to write down in a few words all opportunities or problems that need to be addressed which come to mind during the review. After completion of the review, all the notes are collected and processed and prioritized to determine the few critical actions needed to achieve the visions. Everyone involved has an equal opportunity to contribute ideas and given equal weight in the analysis, thereby creating ownership in the results.

The one-page roadmap of the strategic is developed and presented to all employees and other stakeholders.

Leaders for achieving each of the strategic actions are named and progress is reviewed at scheduled monthly meetings.

This is not an idle bookshelf showpiece but an active, living system that gets results.

Provide a map of the organization's strategy for all employees

Painting a Map of Your Organization’s Strategy

Dr. Sheila Sheinberg of the Center for Life Cycle Sciences told a story about her five-year old son who received a jigsaw puzzle for Christmas. Jonathon sought help from Mom and Dad in putting the puzzle together but they could find no box and no picture of what the puzzle was supposed to look like. Faced with the child’s pleading, they took three days trying to figure out the puzzle without success. When Dr. Sheinberg put out the trash, she noticed the word “puzzle” written on something. Jonathon had taken the puzzle out of its box without fully unwrapping it, and consequently, had not been able to tell his parents where the picture was. Without the picture, the puzzle remained just that, a puzzle. With the picture, they put the puzzle together in three hours.

It helps communication of the organization’s strategy if a picture can be painted of the strategy on one page of heavy stock suitable for framing and distributed to each employee so they can understand it and help to achieve it. The Japanese have a saying, “It takes more than one of the senses to communicate” so it should be explained orally as well as handed out.

The picture is a portrayal of a roadmap with the current state of the organization beginning in the lower left corner and leading to the desired state, Vision, in the upper right corner. The Vision is a one-sentence statement of what the organization wants to achieve at the end of the time period selected for the strategy. It should be memorable, inspirational, and compelling. Since people cannot be pushed by a Vision but can be pulled by it, a short list of what their life will be like when the Vision is reached, sometimes called Ideal Conditions, can be placed in the lower right of the picture. A Mission statement or purpose of the organization is located in the upper left corner followed by a Values statement or code of ethics to provide behavior guidelines.

Lastly, the three to twelve major strategies are placed as signposts on the road starting with the highest priority at the lower left and moving up the road to the Vision in the upper right in descending priority.

It is very heartening to see how many employees post this map in their work area and use it to guide their decisions during the year. Employees should be cautioned that the strategic issues provided by management probably do not include everything that needs to be done. Employees inevitably see opportunities for improvement and should feel encouraged to take action on those issues. Jungi Naguchi, past president of the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers, said he believed 80 percent of improvements come from individual efforts. If employees fully understand, and are aligned with, the direction of the organization they can take action in real time that will help achieve the vision. The map of the organization’s strategy will help provide that understanding and alignment.