Blog - Strategy

With 2015 around the corner- what will you do differently next year?

Posted by Scott Newton on Dec 11, 2014 2:40:00 PM
new-year
For many of us, particularly in Europe and the Americas, it is coming close to the end of the year and the annual holiday season when there is a tradition to set resolutions for the New Year to do something differently.

This is also a great occasion in business to have a quick session with your team prior to the 25th and review in one hour or less:
  1. What went particularly well in the company this year? A sales campaign? An HR program to develop talent? An IT launch? New products and acquisitions?  

  2. What actions were taken that eliminated the risk of a problem before it occurred? A particularly effective QC system? A rigorous approach to project management and planning that removed a previously unknown risk? The involvement of stakeholders not typically consulted with to get new information and support?

  3. How closely did the year unfold relative to the strategy predictions? Which assumptions turned out not to be correct? Where were probabilities and impacts of external events and trends underestimated? How well did the countries and capabilities with the highest investments perform compared to the lower priority products and markets?
While the majority of organizations tend to focus on “the numbers,” it is not always the case that the management team sit down together and have a transparent briefing on what worked well and what the group plans to execute differently in the year 2015.  All of the organizations we work with invest significant time and resources in developing the Strategic Thinking capabilities of their leaders for tomorrow - this short session can be your contribution to assisting yourself and your group to a higher level of performance and development of the Strategic Focus which leads to sustainable business results.
 
Happy Strategic Hunting!