DoyouspeakStrategy?Thecorerealitywhenitcomestostrategyisthatmanycompaniesstarteddoingbusinessbasedonagreatidea,thenusuallysearchfundings.Iftheysucceedtogetfundingswhichisalreadyagreatstep,theteamshowsthenoutstandingpassion,resilience,andperseverancetoreachthenextlevel.Inthesecompanies,smallorbig,whenyoumentionthe«word»strategy,youwillgetadifferentreactionfromeverypeopleyoutalkto.Nomatterthepositiontheyholdwithinthecompany,theywillallgiveyouacompletelydifferentpointofview.ThisishowIrealizedthatIneededtowritemoreonthissubject.With15+yearsinbusiness,Icameupwiththefeelingthatthereisstillroomforimprovementonthistopicandanurgentneedtoincludemoremethodology.Indeed,Iamasalespersonatheart,however,Itrulybelieveinthepowerofmethodologyanddoingthejobbeforejumpingonthe«businesstrain».Soletmesharemypointofviewonstrategybasedonmyprofessionalexperienceandalotofreading,studyingaswellonthetopic.
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1.Whatisastrategyinbusiness?Asusuallet’sstartwithabasicdefinitionfoundfromthebusinessdictionary1.Amethodorplanchosentobringaboutthedesiredfuture,suchastheachievementofagoalorsolutiontoaproblem.2.Theartandscienceofplanningandmarshalingresourcesfortheirmostefficientandeffectiveuse.ThetermisderivedfromtheGreekwordforgeneralshiporleadinganarmy.Seealsotactics.Yourkeytakeawayhereisthestrategywillbeyourfoundation,theframeworktohelpyourcompanymakewisedecisionsinallaspectsofbusinessandhelpprioritizetheactions.2.Theprocess:wheredoIstart?Ofcourse,therewillalwaysbealotofdiscussionsontheprocessaboutbuildingastrongstrategyandIamnointentionoftryingtoconvincethatmineisbetter.Iamjustsharingonhere,sohereismytakeatit.•THEVISION/MISSIONSTATEMENT:Iamconvincedthatthestartingpointisthevision.Itiswhereeverythingbegins.Atthatpoint,theFounder.CEOshouldgetinvolved.Thegoalofeverycompanyistocreatevalueandthisneedtobeconvertedinageneralmission.Thisvision/missionwillconveytheteamtowardsmutualgoals.•WHATVALUEISTHECOMPANYCREATING?:Intheprocessofdefiningstrategy,companiesneedtostartwithaplanandsomestrategicthinking/analysis.Itislikechess:anticipatingandthinkinghowyouwillwinthegame.•WHATISTHEEXPERTISE?:whatisyouruniquesellingpoint?Whatmakesyourcompanyaleaderonthemarket?Spendtimeondescribingthisedge.• THEKEYSUCCESFACTORS:wheredoyouneedtobegreatat?Thiscanbeappliedtoall
theorganization.• WHICHCHANNELSALES:Youneedtohaveanideaofhowyouwanttoreachyour
customers.• PROFITABILITY:Dependingonthecompanystructure,organizational,funding,youneed
tolookattheprofitabilitylevelyouareexpecting.Ifyoumanagetogivefeedbackwithsolidanswerstothefewpointsabove,thismeansthatyourcompanyhasdonethejob.Congratulations!Nowyoucangothenextstep:strategicplanning.
3.WarningaboutlackingresultsMostofthetimewhenacompanyisstrugglingatreachingtheirgoals,theytendtoforgetaboutthefoundation,theframework:thestrategyandmostofalltheplanbasedonthestrategy.Themanagementteamtendstoputthepressureontheoperationalteaminsteadofgoingbacktotheplan.Beawarethatacompanycanexcelatstrategicplanningandstruggleatthesametimeintermsofexecutingtheplan.Today,everythingneedstogofaster,however,sometimestakingthattimetogobacktotheplanandunderstandifitsexecutionneedsadjustmentstomakeallthedifference.4.EVERYEMPLOYEENEEDSTOOWNITForme,thisisakeypointasIhaveseentoomanycompanieswhereemployeesdidn’tgetthevision/themissionandtheplan,thereforeitwasquitedifficultforthemtounderstandafewaspects.Thewhy:everysingleemployeeinacompanywetheritisinlogistics,sales,marketing,needtofindthepurpose.Byfindingtheir«why»,youwillgetmoreinvolvmentandmotivationfromyourteam.Ifyouwanttounderstandmoreaboutthewhy,theexpertisSimonSinek.Tounderstandkeydecisions:Toputinaverysimpleway,itwouldbeliketakingalongcarridewhenyouarelate.Youseethedriverusesecondaryandslowerroadsbecauseheknowsthatyouwillarrivefasterbutnobodyexplainsittoyou.
Doyouthinkyouwouldfeelconfidentandtrusful?WOuldyouthinkthatthedriverdoesn’tknowwhatheisdoing?Woulditmakeyoufeelanxious?Thisishowyouunderstandtheneedtovaluethesenseofpurposelinkedtoyourcompanystrategy.Toavoid,anymisunderstanding,Iamnotreferingtoanyfinancialtargets,justahumancenteredbenefit.
Let’sbehonest,thisisjustabeginning,therearestillmanypointstodiscussonstrategy.Doyouhaveastrategyinyourcompany?Aplan?Doyouunderstanditandunderstandwhereyourcompanyisgoing?WhathaveImissedinthisarticle?Pleasedonothesitatetocommentbelow,shareandkeepthediscussiongoing.
Written by: Nina Gouas, FE # 78121 Contact us! Phone: +44 203137 2581 Email:[email protected] Website: www.female-executive-search.comFemale Executive Search is a brand of: CEO Worldwide Ltd - 9 Queen‘s Yard - White Post Lane, London E9 5EN, ENGLAND
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