Strategy can leave you scattered.
It can pull you in hundreds of directions,
Or leave you consumed by just one thing.
I’ve fallen victim to both extremes.
So to stay focused,
I have four pillars.
Four key areas that insight, expertise.
And strategic thinking,
Have been most useful for.
They are:
- Find work.
- Bring in work.
- Keep work, and
- Continually refine strategy itself.
These can adjust slightly depending on
The situation, the project,
Or the company I work with.
But here’s the basics.
Pillar 1: Find Work
As a strategist,
You know the inner workings of your company.
You know your strengths, weaknesses, differentiators,
Value propositions.
So who better to get out there than you!
Network, drive early engagements,
Find clients that need you,
Develop relationships that will last,
From start to finish
[And even after that]
Pillar 2: Bring in Work
Finding work is great.
And if you’re well suited for it,
Then you have to go win it.
Creating unique, tailored, comprehensive strategies,
Best matched to the strengths of your company.
And demonstrating the value to clients,
Is profoundly important.
You’re up against competitors, preferred partners,
Different personalities, cultures, constructs,
And expectations that may not be evident.
So keep your strategy toolbox close by.
Sometimes it’s just an allen wrench or two,
But many take all the gear you have,
So be ready.
Pillar 3: Keep Work
You don’t just drop strategy off on the sidewalk,
Then drive away.
Your strategy, and the relationships you built,
Have to be maintained.
You more than anyone can see trends before they happen,
Understand where bottlenecks are,
Or where a change of direction is needed.
So stay on top of your projects,
Stay connected to your clients,
Be aware of industry trends, cycles, and changes.
Be present,
Listen, assess, research,
And always have a plan to adjust if needed.
Pillar 4: Refine Strategy Itself
Strategy is as fluid as the projects you work on.
There’s always room to improve, to streamline,
To add or remove from your process.
Refining strategy takes work.
It means scheduling time to think,
Engaging with your teams,
Getting into the weeds, the trenches,
And the [insert cliche heres].
It means including clients, stakeholders,
Industry conferences and presentations.
Reviewing trends, case studies,
Successes and failures.
And above all, asking big, tough, even impossible questions,
To find newer, better, and more exciting solutions
[Even when your company doesn’t want you to].
Each pillar cascades through the other pillars,
The amount of time and energy may ebb and flow between them,
But always devote time
So it doesn’t crumble!
