This week’s focus: At the end of a particularly long and gruelling strategy meeting a CEO once turned to me and said, “In a few years time people will laugh at us for developing three-year plans.” He was right. Most long-term plans last about as long as an ice storm in the desert. As military experts put it, plans rarely survive contact with the enemy.
Despite these realities many executive teams remain stuck with nineteenth century approaches to strategy development. It is not long-term plans that you need, but the ability to adapt rapidly to fast-changing markets in a way that helps you achieve your goals. As Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon once put it, you need to be fixed on your vision but flexible on the journey.
Don’t spend 6 months developing a 1-year plan. What can you do to accelerate the development of your growth strategy?
Off the record: Time by Pink Floyd
Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
The 6-Day Strategy: A new mindset and new approaches are needed to create a robust and compelling strategy at pace. But it can be done. I’m delighted to launch our new offering, The 6-Day Strategy, which can help you set the direction, and generate the focus necessary for you to succeed at a pace that is 20 times faster than traditional approaches. And in a world where plans rarely last a year, gaining a six-month start on your competitors can create lasting advantages and benefits for your business.
To find out more visit our website page on The 6-Day Strategy here and download the white paper here.
© Stuart Cross 2014. All rights reserved.