Developing a roadmap for your business
A strategy is quite simply a plan that defines an end point and a means of getting there. Running a business without a strategy is a bit like trying to navigate the ocean without a map. You may get some things right, but you’ll probably make a lot of poor decisions along the way. And, you could find yourself on a sinking ship.
A strategic plan involves a detailed analysis of the current state, a clear set of goals and objectives, a roadmap that outlines the initiatives, responsibilities and timelines that will see the organisation achieve these objectives, and a clear view of how success will be evaluated.
While strategic planning engagements are varied, at Metrix our strategic plans are developed based on four key ingredients for success:
1) A strong evidence base
To ensure you are following the right path you need to really understand the problem, remove any biases, expose blind spots and listen to what your customers (or other relevant target audience groups) are saying.
2) Effective stakeholder engagement
At the end of the day it is people, not machines who have to execute a strategy. While we can take you so far, it's then up to the people in your organisation to bring the strategy to life. This is why
consultation with stakeholders across all levels is crucial in the strategic planning process. This consultation needs to be done in a way that uncovers all relevant opportunities and concerns and ensures organisation-wide alignment around the resultant strategy.
3) Creativity and innovation
A new strategy should never start by copying and pasting across the contents of the previous strategy. Even if you find yourself facing the same problems as you were back then, it’s important to think about things differently and come up with new ideas and
innovative solutions.
4) Trade-offs
Every organisation has a limit on its resources, which means that you can never be all things to all people. While there may be many things you could do or want to do as an organisation, it is impossible to do everything and do it well. Arguably the most important part of strategic planning is prioritising where you will focus your energy and making decisions about what you should and shouldn’t be spending your time and money on.
While every engagement is based on these four ingredients, we tailor our approach to suit your specific needs. As an independent consultancy, our sole focus is on ensuring you get a strategic roadmap that will set you up for success.
Get in touch today to book a free initial consultation and find out if a strategic plan can help you get to where you want to go.