5 Good Reasons: Why You Need a Plan
Updated: Sep 15, 2019
Developing strategy takes time and resources and requires the time and commitment of of the major stakeholders in any business, organization, or enterprise. Working with a consultant that will guide you through process, keep you engaged in the project, and hold you accountable to your goals.
Why do you need strategy? Here are my I top five answers:
1. SET DIRECTION AND PRIORITIES
Strategy sets the direction and establishes priorities for your organization. It defines your view of success and prioritizes the activities that will make this view your reality. The strategy will help your people know what they should be working on, and what they should be working on first.
Without a clearly defined and articulated strategy, you may find that your priority initiatives—the ones that will drive the highest success are being given secondary treatment.
2. GET EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE
Strategic direction will streamline operations, sales, marketing, administration, manufacturing, and all departments will be moving together to achieve the organization’s goals.
If you find that you have departments working to achieve different aims, or going in different directions, you will benefit from having a strategy.
3. SIMPLIFY DECISION MAKING
Strategy prioritizes the activities necessary for success, making it easier to say no to distracting initiatives.
If your leadership team is having trouble saying no to new ideas or potential initiatives, you need a strategy.
4. DRIVE ALIGNMENT
Strategy serves as the vehicle for answering the question, “How can we better align all our resources to maximize our strategic success?” Many organizations have hard-working people putting their best efforts into areas that have little to no effect on strategic success. They’re essentially majoring in the minors—because their activities aren’t aligned with the priorities.
5. COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE
Many leaders walk around with a virtual strategy locked in their heads—they know where their organization needs to be and the key activities that will get it there. Unfortunately, the strategy hasn't been articulated or communicated thoroughly. As a result, few people are acting on it. When your staff, suppliers, and even customers know where you’re going, you allow even greater opportunities for people to help you maximize your success in getting there.
Whether you are leading an enterprise, organization, business, or are a solo-epreneur, you play a vital role in facilitating strategy.
