Business Strategy: YOUR 1 Strategy for Success this Quarter

YOUR BUSINESS RESCUE COACH ASKS YOU:
What is the one thing you want to accomplish this quarter?
How focused are you in accomplishing a goal?

Are your Best Business Strategies working for you? Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that a strategy is a plan with endless action items (and sometimes a budget) attached to it. I’m here to tell you “not so much”! Let’s clear up this common misunderstanding today…

This is going to be a simple one to get – so it really fits into our concept of

over-simplification we do on this blog 🙂  A strategy is a concept that should be looked at as alternative approaches to make something happen or realize a goal. Strategy tends to be the way we express our visions of what could be. Typically, strategies are key to improving a particular aspect of a business.

As a Business Leader (departmental, business unit, or head of a business, etc.), you already know what needs to be improved upon. What is one of the areas of your business you need or would like to improve? (AKA: “YOUR 1 Strategy for Success”)

Let’s do this together so you can see where the fine line is between strategy and action plans – it’s close, so let’s see if you can catch it 🙂 Let’s say one area of improvement is to boost your sales. You, and/or your team, will sit down and have a conversation (solo entrepreneurs you get to play all the roles in this) with all the experts of the sales team and anyone else who interfaces directly with sales. Once all these experts gather, you discuss as many alternative approaches (with each approach’s pros and cons addressed for effectiveness to accomplishing the overall goal in the most effective and efficient manner) you can create regarding how you could approach improving your sales. What I just described is an over-simplification of strategy.

NOTE: The keyword phrase is “ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES”.

What usually happens during a strategy session is some idea may arise and then immediately the activity moves to the tactics of how to accomplish said strategy. WARNING: What I just described in the paragraph is NOT strategy; it is developing and Action Plan to fulfill the strategy’s objective.

I complete agree the natural next step is to create an Action Plan filled with Action Items to accomplish the vision of the Business Leader, BUT that isn’t strategy. The strategy is “Improving Sales” or “Improving Sales via ______”. The rest of the activity is then developing HOW you are going to accomplish this objective. Another way to consider this: Leaders select the strategy to best fulfill the objective. Sometimes the Leaders and the Managers collectively develop Action Plans and sometimes only the Managers do. To understanding more of the difference between what a Leader and Manager does, please see the blog series Understanding Leading and Managing, which was specifically designed for both entrepreneurs and corporate folks as well.

Remember, we tend to over-simplify here so as many people as possible can apply this wisdom to make a difference in their organization. So let’s get back on topic now…

YOUR Business Rescue Coach’s Inquiry for YOUR 2013 Difference:

1. What is “YOUR 1 Strategy for Success” this Quarter?
2. What is the one thing you want to accomplish more than anything else?
3. Are you willing to sit down and start with a strategy session to determine alternative approaches to find the best approach for you to accomplish it this quarter?If so, start with the above steps and I suggest you read the bog series to help clarify different aspects of this exercise!

           Hopefully this help you make a difference in your success this year!         Please ask any questions you have in the comment section!

It can be all different this year…
if you plan to deliver different results in 2013!

If you or your business needs rescuing on this particular topic
or any other Business Strategies we have been discussing,
please reach out to Maggie (262) 716.7750   FYI: I’m in the Central Time Zone

Blessings of Success to YOU ~
The Business Rescue Coach, Maggie Mongan
Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc.