Julie Bacon : : Consulting, Programs, Campaigns, Marketing Communication

Recently I have been leading SmithGifford through a strategy-setting exercise like I have with so many organizations before. And it occurs to me that no matter what the business of the organization, some truths remain.

A good strategy is really a great communication tool. Sure, strategies and business plans have the possibility of leading organizations to great achievements. But really all they are is an effective communication vehicle in which all the important bits are contained. In this package, this critical information may be communicated to managers and doers, investors and board members, partners and customers. And yes, if you can do that, you can keep the organization on track and steering for that great achievement.

Discipline by any other name is still focus. A company truly committed to a cohesive, comprehensive, consistent strategy can ensure this model comes to life. Contrarily, a company creating a strategy because “it has to” will never see the power of the exercise. Done with passion and commitment (not necessarily perfection), strategy development will bind the forces of the company together towards a focused mission.

Scope paralyzes. This can be a daunting task and it does require time. However, it does not require the huge chunks of time and countless tiger teams and consultants that many might assume. It is fairly proportional – the bigger the company or team, the more people will have to be involved, the more time it will take. An emerging company, say $10M in revenue, could truly do this in a weekend. Yes, a weekend. A strategy does not have to be nine four-inch binders. A successful strategy is one that answers all the questions – fills in the model – and does so in a consistent, clear manner with a communication plan. Basically it’s just enough to provide direction to the organization, especially those who will be setting execution plans for their teams.

There is no right way. Yes, I happen to have a framework that I use consistently to ask the questions and fill in the blanks. Yet, for better or worse, there are many ways to uncover the information requested of the model. Volumes have been written on identifying the Core, and goal-setting and market definition and more. Smart, successful business authors and consultants can assist in addressing individual pieces, but the secret is in pulling it all together in a manner that can be presented at the next pizza party. So feel free to incorporate best practices, just don’t over analyze it! The most important thing is to get it done. Your company depends on it.