October, 2015

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OK, I’ll just say it.  I love Strategy!

I love soaring at 25,000 feet, seeing the mosaic of colorful crop circles bordered by the rivers and roads below, or the rich hodge-podge of waterways surrounding a city like New Orleans with the Mississippi Delta weaving through its middle. (Yes, a nod to NOLA, where I flew into this summer in the bazillion percent humidity.)

When I’m able to see the big picture, I gain clarity and feel poised to take the steps I need to take to get there from here.  In short, when I know where I’m going (goals) and have a road map for how to make it happen (strategy), life is good.

My guess, however, is that I lost some of you after you saw the capital “S” in the first paragraph.  If you’ve read this far, you’re thinking “this better get good fast, ‘cause I have work to do.” 

To many, Strategy is a yawner, distracting, and takes too much time.  It’s what you do to rationalize funding to investors, direction to the board, or to convince yourself and employees that there’s a method to your madness.  And, the idea of getting a team of people to align about strategy is enough to make some of you run for the hills.

No matter your inclination, I invite you to read on for a tip or two to help you improve upon your current strategy and, more importantly perhaps, how to get your team to stack hands on it.

Now, back to living in the clouds.

Jacqueline Franklin
IPEC Certified Professional Coach
Energy Leadership Master Practitioner

Coach2Growth helps Executives and Corporate Leaders, Business Leaders, and Leaders in Transition grow by capitalizing on their strengths to lead and partner. With our guidance, business people achieve more, gain recognition, and grow and prosper fearlessly.

JELL-O Mold or JELL-O Mess

Even if you buy the need for strategy, it’s hugely time-consuming and taxing to get your team or organization on the same page.  In short, it’s something that most people avoid.  It’s much simpler to just get ‘er done….regardless if what you’re doing gets you closer to your goals.  We’re busy, people!

Yet, when we dodge the time and energy needed to flesh out sound strategies for how to accomplish our goals and, moreover, determine all that it takes to get our teams aligned, it can be akin to nailing JELL-O to a tree…unlikely to stick and pretty messy.

JELL-O, itself, is a pretty simple product: gelatin, sugar and artificial stuff that we’d rather not know about.  It’s also simple to prepare: add water.  If, however, you don’t put the mixture into some kind of dish or kitschy mold and refrigerate, it remains an amorphous liquid.  And, while the JELL-O “drink” may be tasty, it’s not nearly as much fun to eat, and more or less, beside the point.  Point being: like strategy, JELL-O offers the most value and integrity when chilled enough to sit properly upright on the serving plate (ba-dum-bump).

So, if you fall into the category of  “strategy avoider”, and especially if you are about to enter into the fall planning season, I invite you to follow our tried and true six-step model (think JELL-O mold) for developing your strategies and ensuring alignment across your team.  Even if you love strategy work, there may be a nugget or two for improving your process here too. 

New Coach2Growth eBook

Click here to download our new Coach2Growth eBook, “Six Easy Steps to Get – and Keep – Your Leadership Team on the Same Page….including How to Run a Successful Strategic Planning Meeting with Your Leadership Team and Tools to Maximize Alignment”

“I participated in Harvard's General Management Program in which Jacqueline's role was one of facilitator and coach for our team of eight leaders from around the globe. Jacqueline led exercises and used assessments to draw out our strengths and challenges as a very diverse team and dramatically accelerated the process of coming together. She also coached each of us individually as the program presented us with both personal and professional reflection opportunities. I can say without equivocation that the time spent with her was one of the highlights of the program, she helped our team and each of us as individuals to thrive and grow professionally.”

-- Tom Rumsey, VP External Affairs at Competitive Power Ventures, Inc.

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