Business strategy — is everyone in your business on the same page?
Business strategy — is everyone in your business on the same page?
Can you fit the next three years of your business into a single phrase? This one sentence should reiterate the entire strategic plan devised by your executive team. It should state: where your business will be in three years and what differentiators must be in place to achieve the grand goal.
Let's say you're six months into your three-year plan, and tomorrow you run a surprise exam for the entire executive team. Without delving into their notes, how much of the Strategic Plan can they conjure up from memory? It can't be that bad — after all, they wrote the thing. Even if they've retained it, did all executives interpret the strategic markers correctly to begin with? And if they did, has this plan been followed meticulously and step-by-step?
What if everyone in your organisation had to take this exam? Regardless of the size of your business, it's one of the CEO's tasks to communicate key elements of your business….over and over again. You may think people are getting sick and tired of it. They might be, but regardless, you must continue repeating, living and breathing the Strategic Plan. It is a crucial part of your role; consistency and everyone being on the same page is necessary for business success.
If simply repeating a sentence seems too tedious, find creative ways to spread your message. The more senses you affect with your message, the more likely your message seeps in and begins to deliver desired results. So don't shy away from leaving your slogan on sticky notes, writing an educational song or hanging it on the wall.
This is why many successful companies have a communications department and/or someone who has a “native genius” that puts together some high cut-through communications. Aside from public relations, they also keep in-house communication precise, on-point and engaging.
Your team should reinforce your message. They must keep your one phrase strategy in mind to ensure that their team(s) activities and KPIs continue to align with the achievement of the strategy. They must ensure that all team members clearly understand how all their specific assignments and activities support the grand strategy.
This is hard work, and nobody gets this down perfectly. Visage Growth Partners has worked with an organisation where their one phrase strategy of "global growth through partners" was always referred to in their quarterly strategic planning sessions. This phrase provided a strong reference point to assess the alignment, focus and commitment to what was considered critical to their business growth. When this communication spills over through the whole organisation, you're doubling down on the elements of alignment, focus and commitment. It's also a source of inspiration for your people. It provides context to their efforts and generates greater commitment due to the powerful concept of discretionary effort.
Assess whether your team is on the same page by answering these questions:
Does every person in your business know your one phrase strategy?
If not, why not?
If so, how well do they know how their activities specifically support it?
If so, how well do they know how their department/function supports it?
We look forward to hearing how you are asking your team these questions and what answers you receive. But most importantly, we want to ensure that all the smarts that have gone into your strategic plan are being lived and breathed, and that consequently you’re having a powerful impact on the world around you!
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Hello, I’m Adam. I believe that we can create incredible companies everywhere, by replacing the fear, doubt, and insecurity typically held AND conveyed by leaders, with authenticity, excitement, deep fulfilment, and an abundance mindset.
Having worked in corporate for over 20 years and made major contributions to some huge successes. I always felt that something was missing…I wasn’t living in line with my purpose.
Visage Growth Partners was born to help others achieve their dreams, the ultimate “pay-it forward”. We help others in order that they can make incredible contributions in their lives and the lives of others - and it’s the most personally and professionally fulfilling life we could lead.
At Visage Growth Partners, we believe a business cannot grow beyond the level of the leadership capability. Whilst we can help you grow your business strategically and operationally, we know that real growth comes from igniting the collective power of your leadership team and empowering the team to work together and inspire real success professionally as well as personally.
It is the magical blend of extensive industry experiences, access to world’s best practices in business growth methodologies, and the ability to engage and support senior leadership teams that has Visage Growth Partners deliver exceptional results for our clients. I look forward to meeting you and hearing more about you and your business and how we can clear the pathway to successful growth for you and your business.