Blog post July 2011

Stop strategic planning.  Strategic planning is an event and events don't produce results. Processes do.  Think of strategy as a process to be managed - a Strategic Management Process.

A robust Strategic Management Process should be linked to your organization's fiscal year and cycle through four phases:

1. Assessment - determining the forces and trends impacting your organization and what is driving you to change
2. Positioning - establishing a clear and concise identity and ambition
3. Planning - outlining how success will be achieved
4. Implementation - instituting the mechanisms to build commitment, align the organization and manage execution

When strategic planning ends, people go back to work and the plan collects dust. With Strategic Management there is no end.  Strategic execution is emphasized just as much as day-to-day operational execution.

Put an end to the strategic planning charade.  If you're serious about establishing and sustaining the right focus, then commit to an annual process of strategy development and execution. Commit to Strategic Management.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Inconsistency kills.  When you as a leader act inconsistently you kill your credibility. You demotivate your people. And you undermine your ability to win.

What does inconsistency look like?  When you say one thing but do another. When your work environment sets up your people to fail.  When you put the wrong people in the wrong positions.  When your strategy is out of touch with market realities.  Every example of organizational failure I have come across is a result of inconsistency.

What's the solution?  Ruthless Consistency.  If you are truly committed to winning - however you define it - then that commitment must be consistently reflected in what you say and what you do.  In what you don't say and don't do. The decisions you make, the actions you take.  All the time.  Every time.  Ruthless Consistency.

It means developing and sustaining the right focus for your organization.  It means getting the right people in the right positions.  And it means creating the right environment so your people can and will do what it takes to win.

Do you have the right commitment to make this happen?

Michael

Hi, I'm Michael Canic. Welcome to the first posting of my blog: Ruthless Consistency.

So why another blog?  How will this blog add value and stand out in the hyper-expanding blogosphere?  Here's how:

No Floundering
Too many blogs lack focus. They touch on everything.  I pledge to only post content that helps you, the organizational leader, develop and execute strategy.
No Fluff
Too many blogs are fluffy. Posting the trivial foe the sake of posting. I pledge to only post content that is compelling and applicable.
No Filler
Too many blog postings ramble on and on and ... chronıc bloggerea. I pledge to only post content that is concise and information-rich.

My intent is to provoke thinking, feeling and, most importantly, action. Through concepts, models and processes that apply the principles of Ruthless Consistency.

No floundering, no fluff, no filler. Just focused content that is compelling and concise, and that helps you win.

This is my manifesto.

Michael