What’s your strategy is an important question that a business owner or manager should be able to answer. If I asked, How do I get to the local grocery store? Could you give me direction? Of course because you’ve been there multiple times and/or passed it as you traveled. If I asked, how do you spell your name? Could you not tell me the correct spelling of your name? Of course you can because it is your name, it belongs to you. Your strategy should be that clear to you. If it’s not, do not worry you have time to figure it out.
Sit down and decide where do you desire your organization to be in the next year, 5 years, 10 to 20 years from now. Write it down. Then decide how are you going to get there (mission). What goals are necessary to obtain your mission? A little planning will go along way in obtaining goals, allow you to ultimately meet your mission. Write out your road map… your strategy. Your strategy is how you plan to get from point A to Point B.
Sharing your strategy will give it life. Your strategy is not meant to be simply written on a piece of paper, bulletin or even a vision board. Your strategy is meant to be spoken and shared. When you speak, you bring it to life. Others can now hear the mission and because the strategy is shared, others can play their role in helping to achieve the mission. Sharing the business strategy with employees will help them better understand the path they are on and why their actions are necessary for obtaining the overall mission of the organization. If employees do not understand the mission then they are performing blindly and typically without much care which will be conveyed to the customer and anyone else they come into contact with. However, if your employees are part of the vision and are made of aware of how their actions impact the organization they will take more care in their work and performance.
Your strategy is your guide for how you want to get from point A to B or point A to Z. Their are many paths to the final destination, just decide your path.
This past year I participated in speaking engagements with high school students for STEM (Science, Technology’ Engineering and Mathematics) careers. The students are in/the early stages of their careers. They are deciding what fields to study, who they want to be and what problems they want to solve. They are in the identification stage of their life. During part of my time with them I stress the importance of laying out your plan. How do you plan to get from A to Z. In other words “What’s Your Strategy?” If you want to be an accountant what are the steps to be an accountant? These particular students can tell you what classes they are taking now, what colleges they plan to apply to and why. Guess what, the student just gave you their strategy.
Student Strategy:
Mission – To become an accountant
Vision – By the end of college to obtain their bachelor degree in accounting
Plan – 1. Graduate from HS, 2. enroll in college with an accounting program, 3. look for internships in accounting, 4. graduate from college with their degree in accounting, 5. partake in any post graduate studies if desired, 6. apply for positions in accounting &7. lastly obtain desired employment
