Why in life and in business we most often do not do what we really should do?! After all, we know for sure, even before the start, how we should act better, we have our own plan, our own uniqueness.
The answer is simple and obvious - deferred compensation. We need immediate results now, and if we don’t get them, we lose focus, give up and become disappointed.
Decide for yourself which strategy you can really and constantly follow in your company. And add Discipline to it. We will never achieve competitive differentiation in our business if we work only “mostly” well enough. And short-term goals are from the start the cases of failure. This is like fast weight loss, which we will soon gain again quickly.
"Discipline is not a limitation of freedom. This is cutting off all unnecessary."
Bruce Lee
Real business problems cannot be solved only by discussing the pros and cons, SWOT analysis, recommendations of smart young consultants with an MBA degree. The point is not to improve the quality of analysis of your business, this is not a thoughtful conclusion, but the Decision to Act and pure energy in the life processes of the organization. Indeed, the discussion of our goal is a motivating process, and the discussion of discipline is frightening, difficult and unpleasant. How is that?! It is necessary to do the same thing regularly?
What is important for strategic planning in business:
- Constancy. At the same time, do not underestimate the amount of effort applied.
- Rating system. It’s easier for us to track the result when it is recorded and tracked by someone.
- The seriousness of senior management to the necessary changes. Readiness for change always starts from the head. And it is rather recklessly to rely on planning consultants completely. If management does not believe in a strategy, does not show this clearly - the presentation of a new strategy is a waste of time and money.
- Principles are more effective than tactics. Your subordinates should understand that the strategic rules of your business are fundamental. Then you will not meet resistance from them.
- People themselves must want to change. After all, we can only call “success” a state when people are willing to embody the strategic changes of the company for themselves and show daily willpower. Success requires the true desire of all parties.
- People should either get on your bus or get out of it. There is no middle ground. And the management must decide what to do with extra people. It is worth dropping off unnecessary people. And while the rest should not feel that the management hesitates. We cannot force all employees to stick to the strategy, but we can protect those who are inclined to it. We must understand that the success of all the great companies in the world lies in a strong ideology and a clear long-term business strategy.
How can you manage the process of change in your business? And what is the management style - Persistent patience:
- Coordination of actions with your staff.
- To make it clear to the staff that the mistake is nothing, but the main thing is diligence.
- Stop talking about the ultimate goal, break up the strategy into small parts. Step by step, there will be only moving up and only towards continuous improvement. "Rome cannot be built in 1 day, but we are still building it gradually."
"Hard work is an accumulation of small matters that you did not do when you were supposed to do."
John Maxwell
- Praise is an important part of the strategy implementation process.
- Strategic programs should be turned into a game. It is the game that makes the human psyche able to continue active efforts. And extremes ruin the whole thing (for example, do not force people to strive at all, or setting too bold and time-consuming goals).
- Ability to refuse inappropriate business offers. Let's take a closer look at the last point, as one of the most important for the formation of the strategic differentiation of your business. No need to be afraid to scare away your customers. Do not try on a reputation for yourself - everything for everyone, just to be paid. In this case, the strategic differentiation of your business in the market is to decide which orders you WILL NOT accept. Do you have enough confidence for this? Your competitive differentiation, in this case, is also to decide what your strength is. A company that focuses on everything: quality, price, diversity and speed is doomed to failure.
Your long-term business strategy - your specific advantages, clearly selected criteria to compete. And vice versa, the wider the group of clients or the range of services, the greater the likelihood of merging with the faceless mass of companies doing everything at an average level. The hardest thing here is to refuse to work and make the growth of the company's reputation your main strategic priority, rather than the variety of average quality services.
"Only companies with originality and genuineness live long."
Howard Schulz, CEO of Starbucks
After all, do you agree that you will not receive the most attractive contracts by dissipating efforts? Keep your business strategy focused and clear. Do not chase quantity. Without implementing a long-term strategy, it is impossible to take advantage of it. At the same time, do not let others decide what is the speed of implementing your strategy and have the courage and faith in your priorities.
So what is a long-term competitive differentiation strategy?
- No excuses when selecting suitable projects.
- Customer interests are above profit, show that you can be trusted.
- A carefully selected group of key clients who trust you is more cost-effective than a series of clients who doubt your motives.
- Choices help you conserve energy and resources for really important up-and-coming income opportunities.
- Strategy comes first. The management must convey that strategy and reputation are more important than profit. After all, if top management does not completely follow the strategy, what about average employees?
- When introducing a new strategy, the qualifications of employees are not as important as their perseverance.
- When implementing a strategy, people are much easier to believe in new employees in new posts than the fact that the old ones can change.
The long term perspective of your business is in your hands. Have the courage to say no to unnecessary and yes to discipline, systematicity, quality and careful selection of those who are on the way with you.
The discourse is based on information received from David Meister's book “Strategy and the Fat Smoker”, 2018.
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Why in life and in business we most often do not do what we really should do?! After all, we know for sure, even before the start, how we should act better, we have our own plan, our own uniqueness. The answer is simple and obvious ...
Jan Pinkava, "Geri's Game"
