Last week I was lucky enough to be working in New York City. Looking out over the Manhattan skyline, I was amazed by the sheer scale of building work that was going on. New York is in a constant state of regeneration.
The developments are almost exclusively high-rise buildings, each with a tower crane standing over the building site. As I looked more closely, I noticed that the cranes were not at the full height that will be needed to complete the development. Instead, the cranes are constantly positioned just a few floors higher than the current build. (I’ve since learned that tower cranes use one of two systems to periodically raise their height as the development progresses.)
When it comes to strategy, it can be tempting to create your high-level vision and then ask or cajole your organisation to deliver against it. The trouble is, that won’t work.
Like the cranes towering over New York City’s new property developments, you must instead find a way to help your teams reach up to the next level of performance in a step-by-step approach before repeating the process.
What actions are you taking to help your business achieve your biggest strategic goals in a phased and managed way?
© Stuart Cross 2019. All rights reserved.