Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Strategic planning”
Every entrepreneur, sooner or later, runs into the limits of their own capacity. We all confront myriad challenges. Some we’re equipped to overcome. For others, we need support. As Peter Drucker famously said, “the measure of the effective executive is the ability to get the right things done.” Often, getting the right things done requires the support of others. And …
Last year, I was co-facilitating a group dialogue for about two dozen participants. We were nearing completion and I wanted to invite a final comment from each participant. Rather than putting someone on the spot to speak first, I asked for a volunteer and encouraged them to indicate whether we would proceed to their left or their right. Immediately, the …
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This oft-quoted proverb seems useful on its face, but for me, it’s always opened a question…. What if we need to go a long way quickly? It’s a valuable question both on our approach in life planning and in business strategy. ‘Strategy’ has an …
“Purpose” is the flavour of the month. It’s all over the business press: everyone has a story about their purpose, and acknowledges the importance of purpose and values in managing their organizations, attracting talent, and developing brands. Organizations in the finance, health and social sectors, where achieving business and social impacts are implicitly part of the job, are looking for …
Last summer, we were working with a new client to develop their next strategic plan. They already knew what would occupy most of their next two years, so we were focused on 2021 onwards—starting with a ten-year vision. It was like pulling teeth. We were facilitating a retreat with the board of directors and senior management, a smart, highly capable …
“I’m going to teach you something you may not want to learn.” Boom. Quite a pronouncement. Not a question, but a statement. Said with an air of warning and determination. It hung in the air like a stormcloud. This was going to hurt…. Yet there was also an undercurrent of assurance, even caring, perhaps. Should that have been surprising? After …
“We can’t grow, because my people can’t grow.” This is an actual quote from an entrepreneur we worked with a few years ago. While his company’s track record of growth clearly made a mockery of his assertion, he remained convinced—and stuck. By any objective measure, his company was thriving. Its revenues were far higher than they had been at any …
My favourite band played an outdoor show in Vancouver’s world-renowned Stanley Park last summer. Their tall, bald, front man was as energetic and activated as ever. But the person who really fired my imagination that sunny evening was sitting at the back of the stage…. Rob Hirst is one of the most powerful drummers in the business. His lean kit, completed …
Since our recent piece, ‘Where Do We Grow from Here?’ conversations seem to have been in the air about business growth. How should we grow? Where should we grow? What does growth even mean? We’re not the only ones asking…. In the past year, we’ve completed a number of large, stakeholder-engaged strategic planning assignments with a diverse list of clients. …
