But even this ‘return’ is missing out a step: strategy, planning, then implementation. Or, as we like to say, Thinking, Planning and Doing.
We’re good planners. We have lots of ideas, plenty of creativity and valuable insight. But when we're missing the first step - a clear strategic direction, the overarching goal that drives us forward and gets us out of bed in the morning - it can become activity for activity’s sake.
This part of the process can be daunting for clients. They want to get on and do things. They’ve committed time and money and want to see plans and actions. And sometimes that's fine. If the strategy is to ‘keep up with the Joneses’, we can plan to do what they're doing (distinctively, mind - recognisable as you). After all, the goal is to compete with your peers and ensure you're seen as a contender.
But if your strategy is to do more than that - to change, grow, expand into new areas or contract others - then that requires something else. Being clear on that at the outset, before planning and implementation begin, sets you on the right path and often takes you beyond the extent of your current business plan.
Without it, it becomes a rinse-and-repeat exercise. We see the same thing when administrations plan only for four-year terms. Decisions are made based on what impacts the figures in that period, rather than having conviction in a longer-term course and goal.
Not everyone is clear on the strategy, and there will naturally be different views. But you need one. Without it you’re sailing with the wind and hoping the weather stays the same.
