A lot of fuzz is often created around strategy while in reality there are only three simple questions that need to be answered:

  1. Where do I want to be?
  2. Where am I today?
  3. How do I bridge the gap between “to be” and “as is”?

That holds true for start-ups as well as for multinational corporations; for individual departments as well as for entire functions or business units.

But answering these questions is too often pushed off to external consultants. Alleged to create safety, manifold analyses are done and scenarios are built. But by assuming to provide better visibility on risks and opportunities, consultants often only produce powerpoints rather than clarity about which direction to take. Furthermore, the bigger the client organization, the higher often the fees… However, in many cases, own staff would be better suited to answer the three questions than any external consultant.

Unfortunately, only a few leaders and companies promote a culture of true responsibility. Hold their employees accountable and take them serious. Leverage their experience and let them decide.

If you involve your people in strategic questions and answer the three questions jointly with them, you can achieve much more. You will reach your goals faster and spot stumbling blocks earlier. You will create more energy, build a winning team and achieve sustainable results.

How you create high impact strategies with your team (and at the same time save money on consultants) I explain in my video: https://vimeo.com/156960798.