Strategic Focus and Clarity
In some circumstances, to enable effective execution, strategy needs to be refocussed and clarified first.
Common Challenges
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Despite a clear strategic ambition and direction, priorities, trade-offs, or sequencing remain insufficiently defined.
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Excessive optionality – Without deliberate choices, teams face “strategy fog” and struggle to focus on what will truly move the business.
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Weak translation into action – Middle and senior management lack a shared understanding of how the strategic ambition translates into concrete, coordinated actions.
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How to Regain Focus​
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Obtain clarity on where your stand on the few critical elements competition in your area is really based on.
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Document and revisit the core assumptions of how you can win in your area.
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Force choices, by exploring their implications but acknowledging that no choice has also implications.
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How I support leadership teams
I facilitate discussions with simple mental models, not complex PowerPoints to regain strategic clarity with a pragmatic approach or address specific questions you may have such as:
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What's the standing of the organisations capabilities, and which gaps do need to be filled?
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Where can your organisation find the the most promising growth opportunities and does a presented opportunity fit your business?​
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What's the impact of potential future shifts on your company, and how can you prepare yourself best?
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How to respond to a competitive threat?
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How can you make the right strategic choices amidst uncertaint?
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What verticals value-chain steps and horizontal business types should I be in?
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A potential simple starting point - The Strategy Canvas
The Strategy Canvas is a simple tool to map your current position against your competitors. In my experience, it often serves a valuable starting point for a strategy y review or discussion.
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Here is how it works:
1. Define what what factors competition is based on
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2. Rate yourself and your competition on these factors - What do you and what do they focus on? Where does it differ?
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3. Compare your resulting strategy curves. Where do you intentionally "do less", "do more" or "do nothing" compared to competition? Are their areas, valuable to your customers that your competition ignores?
Map out the first draft of your strategic canvas within minutes here:
