ccsboardroom blog

A few years ago I was sailing in the beautiful Whitsundays during race week. As a crew member, I was asked to identify the colour of the 2 minute warning flag, which indicated the race course. I passed this information to a person in the cockpit, who translated the flag colour from a naval chart. This information was then used to identify and plot the appropriate course. As the events unfolded we noticed 40 boats heading in one direction and only 3 sailing with us on our new course. A few moments later we discovered that I had in error reversed the flag colours … bottom line .. mucked up. Because I’d been allocated the job, no-one had thought to check a vital piece of strategic information. We did make up lost ground and came in 19th, but we may have ended in the top 3. Embarrassing .. oh’ yes, … did I learn something … absolutely! (For the next race I was given galley duties.)

Most people, because they are so busy, don’t take time out to consider where they are headed or validate their direction. When this happens, often it is too late or incredibly difficult to recover ground resulting in lost customers, people and profits.
Many leaders operate in a ‘make believe’ world, thinking that if they keep ‘grinding at the wheel’ without lifting their heads to check the ‘wind’, that their products will remain relevant and that customers and their people will still be there tomorrow. Unfortunately the exact opposite happens!

At the rate of change being experienced by industry and the revolution in innovation through technology, ‘while you were sleeping’ the course you set last year already needs adjustment.

So how do you ensure this adjustment or confirmation to strategy happens regularly and effectively?

The responsibility of driving strategy lies squarely with the company leadership. However, left to the CEO or Senior Management team alone, without the engagement and input from other stakeholders creates a recipe for failure. There is a real need and significant benefits from bringing together key stakeholders, in a well tailored process, to develop, reconfirm and flesh out the plan to deliver the strategy.

Allocating time discussion time focused on business strategy rather than operational issues is essential. This process provides people at all levels with an understanding of their role in making the strategy live. It also ensures that managers allow enough time to reprioritize tasks that deliver strategy direction, rather than continuing along an incorrect habitual path.
Our experience indicates that translating strategy from the ‘flip chart’ to implementable actions (making the strategy come alive) is as vital to success on every front. All it takes is some skilled facilitation to help adjust the sails, harness the wind which gives the lift needed to ride the wave of opportunity.