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Let’s Talk Strategy: Learning the Strategy Language

Tara Rethore, CEO, M Beacon Enterprises, LLC

June 11, 2015

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#Strategy

www.MBeaconEnterprises.com +1 703 625 9124

Info@MBeaconEnterprises.com

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Articulate the challenge

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Mission

Vision

Values

Strategy…

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It’s kind of like moving a pyramid.

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So, what is strategy?

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Helpful to frame strategy as decisions.

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*Kevin P. Coyne and Somu Subramaniam, “Bringing Discipline to Strategy,” The McKinsey Quarterly, 1996 Number 4. Much earlier, Henry Mintzberg framed strategy in a similar way as summarized in the article, “Crafting Strategy”, HBR, July-August 1987.

Strategy is a handful of decisions that:

• Drive or shape most of a company’s subsequent actions

• Are not easily changed once made

• Have the greatest impact on whether a company meets its strategic objectives*

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Identify the decisions you need

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Strategic Planning

What’s the difference?

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So what?

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• Strategy is about trade-offs.

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• Strategy is about trade-offs.

• Thus, strategy development is about frameworks (not blueprints).

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• Strategy is about trade-offs.

• Thus, strategy development is about frameworks (not blueprints).

• To be effective, it must be about action and ongoing management.

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Two ways to make strategy real.

1. Know your vantage point

2. Choose where to start

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Two ways to make strategy real.

1. Know your vantage point

2. Choose where to start

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3 vantage points make strategy real.

Tactical

Operational

Enterprise

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3 vantage points make strategy real.

Tactical

Operational

Enterprise

Think: “for the benefit of the Enterprise”

Incorporate: “How does my expertise

contribute?”

Specify: “How do we get this done together?”

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Execution: Playing chess on 3 levels

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How does that play out in

real life?

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Two ways to make strategy real.

1. Know your vantage point

2. Choose where to start

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Aspirational starts with what could be.

Conditional starts with what is.

Both are needed.

See also: Arthur D. Little’s “Ambition Driven Strategy”, 1999.

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Rule #1: Where you start matters.

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How does that play out in

real life?

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Rule #2: Strategy is not linear.

• Stuff happens. Your world shifts.

• Dealing with that requires agility and active management.

• Sometimes you revisit the middle.

• Sometimes you start over.

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Rule #3: It’s all about execution.

Having a plan is one thing. Executing is another.

Image courtesy Disney via Bing Images

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Throughout – address 2 questions.

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To what end?

So what?

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How will you move that pyramid?

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For more information…

Contact: Tara Rethore

Chief Executive Officer, M. Beacon Enterprises +1 703.625.9124

Follow: @TRethore

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M. Beacon Enterprises LLC is a strategy development and execution consulting firm founded in 2007. We work collaboratively with individuals and organizations to ensure that the results solve problems in a way that makes sense for each business. We call this approach Strategy for real TM.

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