Strategic Planning Is Screwed Up

Screwed up…

Time consuming

Expensive Not fun experience; can be “painful” to sit

through

Tries to be a precise science in a world of uncertainty, randomness, unpredictability

and imprecision

Screwed up…

Infatuation with applying the tool set rather than achieving practical results

Loves analysis – paralysis by analysis Helium-filled aspirational goals

command attention: “#1, world class, market leader” the language

Screwed up…

Direction setting consumes >80% of time available.

“Tight” on strategy; “loose” on execution. High granularity on strategy;

light on how it will be implemented.

Screwed up…

Assumes execution will automatically follow a theoretically pristine strategy.

Really?

Screwed up…

5-10 year planning horizon creates little sense of urgency to do something NOW.

The 5th year in the plan never shows up!

Planning documents gather dust on the shelf; meticulous “ironed” look

preserved… not used!

But my BIG issue…

Ineffective in producing a true competitive

claim to separate an organization from the

Herd; to stand-out and BE DiFFERENT Process doesn’t highlight the urgency to do

Or provide the tools to do it

My Process is DiFFERENT

And it works!

Proven and practical…

Strategic Game Plan

• Game Plan – Focus on EXECUTION– Build a planning process to

enable EXECUTION

– Objective: to SCORE!– It’s about MORE than your Plan

… it’s about how well you execute

Strategic Game Plan

• Get you your Plan ‘Just about Right’– 20% plan; 80% execute

– Loosen up on strategy; tighten up on execution

Strategic Game Plan

• Plan on the Run– Learn from Execution – Adjust your strategy as you go– Be ‘good’ at anticipating;

‘great’ at responding– Plan, Execute, Learn, Adjust,

Execute …

Strategic Game Plan

• Focus – Focus – Focus– Roy’s Rule of 3

– Focus on the critical few actions we need to take

– That deliver 80% of your strategy

– STOP chasing stuff!

Strategic Game Plan

• Answer 3 questions & you have your strategy

– HOW BIG do you want to be?

– WHO do you want to SERVE?

– HOW will you compete and WIN?

HOW BIG

• Choose a short-term planning horizon

• A 24-month plan is more realistic than a 2 year plan – Execution focus– Recognizes unpredictability

& randomness

HOW BIG

• Choose the metric that describes success • Critical success factor for the next 24

months

Revenue • Easy to measure• Reflects customer demand• A ‘Market expression’

WHO to SERVE

• Customer Groups that represent the Biggest opportunity to generate HOW BIG

• The “critical few” rather than the possible many

• The more you choose, the

more diluted your efforts are

WHO to SERVE

• “Fast and Easy” approach given 24 month execution period

• Keep it simple: leverage how you now see your business

WHO Considerations

Customer concentration

Relative growth rates

Competitive position

Long term potential

Ease of access

Customer loyalty

HOW to WIN

• HOW to WIN = Your competitive claim; your competitive advantage

• Answers the question: “Why should I do business with you and no one else?”

• Objective to be RELEVANT and UNIQUE

ONLY Principles…

1. The WHO

2. VALUE3. What they CARE about

4. BRIEF

5. SPECIFIC – Avoid ‘better’, ‘best’, ‘great’,

‘excellent’ ….. No aspirations

HOW to WIN

The ONLY Statement:

“We are the ONLY ones that…”

BE The ONLY One

“We are the ONLY team that provides integrated tailored safety solutions that go beyond the needs of each of our customers

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. We are committed to grow our customer’s business.

We ONLY serve safety.”

Wrap up – An Invitation

• bedifferentorbedead.com• Blog Articles on Strategy, Leadership, Sales, Service, Marketing (and other stuff)

• Connect and Engage • Slideshare.net/royosing

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BE DiFFERENT Series

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BE DiFFERENT Series

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