Reminder: When I say org strategy, I’m referring collectively to your vision statement, mission statement, core values, etc. — the guiding principles of your organization. Specifically, the articulation of those — what you say and how you say it.
At a certain point in your growth, a carefully articulated business strategy becomes a must-have. And this gives rise to 5 other must-haves… things that give you the best shot at an accurate and effective outcome.
Here they are — the 5 things you need to get your organization’s strategy right:
Consider it a checklist. And let’s check ‘em off.
I’ve spent my entire career in message strategy for marketing. So the first thing I need to clarify is this: Org strategy is NOT marketing.
It is, however, message strategy.
There’s no doubt about it… Your org strategy is a message. Primarily an internal one. It’s a message to all your employees and leadership. It says: “This is our point of view. This is our vision and mission. This is how we make decisions. These are our keys to success.”
Please note the target audience there: your colleagues. Remember that, first and foremost.
However, this doesn’t mean your strategic principles can’t also speak to external audiences. They can serve a message to your shareholders… your supply-chain partners… even your customers.
In fact, I encourage you to consider these external audiences, too. Careful wordsmithing can help your strategic message do double duty.
Now, two more things.
One, make sure everybody involved understands what strategy is, and what it isn’t. This’ll help: What is message strategy?
Two, make sure everybody involved shows up with the KISS principle in mind. Good prep: 4 reframes to simplify org strategy.
Assuming your strategy development is a team effort — and I recommend that — then who’s on the team?
Leadership, obviously.
If you’re a small organization, maybe the founder or president is all you need. But if you’re a jumbo corporation, you might have too many leaders to include.
Here’s a cool way to think. A book I once read (can’t remember it right now) said this: Whether you have one employee or one hundred thousand, there are just three essential functions of a business:
In other words:
Love the simplicity here. Makes sense, right?
When you’re working on strategy, you should have all these perspectives represented. Plus your visionary leader, and/or other high-level tone-setters. (And you don’t need all these folks in the same room at the same time — just make sure each voice is heard.)
Below is a guide for who to ask about what. It’s arguable, but it’s a start. This is based on the elements of Single Slide Strategy®. (Single Slide Strategy is a visual framework I developed that fits all your strategic principles onto a single slide. It’s designed for clarity, alignment, and easy communication.)
| Leadership | Sales | Operations | Finance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Context | X | X | ||
| Belief | X | X | X | |
| Vision | X | |||
| Mission | X | X | X | |
| Behavioral standards | X | X | X | X |
| Operational standards | X | X | X | |
| Experience standards | X | X | ||
| Keys | X | X | X | X |
What about HR, or someone who’s a strong cultural leader? Yep, good thinking. And you might have other roles or individuals that would be appropriate. The “right people” will be different for every organization, so just use your God-given common sense.
Do note that, in the table above, executive leadership is the only role weighing in on everything. But again, unless you’re small, don’t let them be the only voice.
Case in point: When I was writing a business strategy for my own company, Counterpart, thank goodness I thought to ask my other leaders for help. When it came to Experience Standards, I turned to the person most passionate about customer experience — our president, Lisa Evano. Her list of specific scenarios blew me away. It’s still the bible for what makes us an outstanding partner.
For Operational Standards, I consulted our director of ops (now VP of Finance), Anji Willenborg. She too went above and beyond my expectations. Way better than I could’ve done, there’s no question about it.
Lesson learned: As smart as I think I am — and even though I own the company — our strategy would not have been nearly as smart if I’d tried to do it all myself. So lean on those leaders!
Last but not least, you also need one more right person in the room: a teacher/facilitator/guide. After all, somebody’s gotta herd the cats, as well as hold said cats accountable for the goal. Otherwise, deciding on strategic principles can devolve into endless debate. And nobody wants that.
Do you have a teacher/facilitator/guide on staff? Excellent. If you don’t, you can go outside. Sometimes it’s better to use a neutral party who’s immune to the ol’ internal politics.
The first few times I helped clients with their strategic frameworks, I flew mostly solo. I felt like I knew the right questions to ask… either because I’d spent so much time thinking about it, or because I had the perspective of a 20-year business owner. Problem is, spitballing out of my own head was a severe limitation. If I wanted to help more people (and I do), I had to create some independent consistency around the all-important interview process.
I hate to use hyperbolic words like “crucial,” but TBH, having the right questions really is that important. You can’t just hit people over the head with broad and intimidating challenges like, “So, what’s your ‘why’?” This approach makes a lot of people freeze. Which doesn’t mean they don’t have the answer, by the way. More likely, they act intuitively on certain beliefs and standards and sense of purpose. Often those instincts have never been brought to the surface, much less formally articulated.
Don’t get hung up on “formally,” though. We’re not asking people to be wordsmiths. We just want them to talk. I believe who you are and what you’re about already exists in the hearts and minds of your people.
Who you are and what you’re about already exists in the hearts and minds of your people.
The goal, then, is to draw the strategic principles out of them. The unspoken rules must be spoken. The invisible has to be made visible.
Skillful questioning makes this happen.
So what are the right questions?
It’ll vary depending on what strategic architecture you’re using. For Single Slide Strategy, you can get the basic ideas here. But there’s definitely a next level: I’ve curated a list of specific questions that align with my framework. And I have to admit, they’re better than any of the questions I was asking out of my own head. (I’m dying to share them with you. But I can’t give them away for free, you know.)
In general, I would say this: Ask about experiences. Give them scenarios. Probe for stories. Search for instances where hard decisions had to be made. Which way did they go, and why? Query about good things that happened and bad things that happened. Good employees and bad employees. Things that can be tolerated and things that can’t. This approach will take you a long way.
I just Googled “strategic framework.” In 3.8 seconds, Google found “About 506,000,000 results.”
Good news: You’ve got options.
But what’s the best option? You have to decide for your own org. In general, I would say that the simpler your org is (i.e., smaller), the simpler the framework should be.
Of course I’m the proud papa of my own framework: Single Slide Strategy. It’s pretty darn smart. So is it a good fit for you? Could be. The model has proven itself in financial services, QSRs, nonprofits, communications, chemical manufacturing, and biotech. Clearly it’s industry-neutral, but it probably works best for medium-sized companies.
If you’d like to consider Single Slide Strategy, take a look at 9 advantages it offers you.
That said, I’m not here to slam any other strategic framework. They all have their merits. Besides, the next factor, I would argue, is actually more important.
I keep saying this: You can use any framework that you want, but you still have to put the right words in there. There’s a thin line between people buying in and tuning out. Word choice is 100% the swing factor.
There’s a thin line between people buying in and tuning out. Word choice is 100% the swing factor.
Personally I believe in using common expressions rather than single words. Because expressions feel more real, and add nuances of tone.
I also believe in action-oriented phrases, because a business strategy won’t be actualized until it’s acted on.
In our company, for example, one of our three core values is “Keep it real.“ What if we had called it “honesty” instead? It wouldn’t have the same effect. It wouldn’t mean as much.
Another belief: When we’re helping you craft your strategic message, our job is to compose, not impose. In other words, the ideas should come from you, not us. Ideally in your own words. When you recognize your own language, you recognize yourself in the strategy. That’s when it rings most true.
Case in point: The Bank of Fayette County was one of the first users of Single Slide Strategy. I had interviewed a number of employees, and was trying to understand their approach to business. They concentrated on underserved communities and placed a heavy emphasis on local support. I went to lunch with the president to discuss. He said, somewhat offhand, “The more good we do, the more money we make.” I was like, bam! That’s it. That was their Belief statement… their why.
Ready to get your entire organization on the same page?
Let the above be your checklist. Get these 5 things covered, and you’ll be well on the way to getting your org strategy right.
Do consider using the Single Slide Strategy framework.
And do consider getting expert help to guide you through it.
Not sure if you need org strategy at all? Hey, maybe you don’t. Book some consulting time with me, and we can figure it out together.
Godspeed, my friend.
