Strategy is a relatively simple term that is often intimidating and overcomplicated as a result of widespread confusion. Many organizations we work with struggle with strategy, both crafting and executing against an already defined strategy. Most strategic initiatives fail as a result of a break between strategy and tactical implementation planning. Business strategy cannot and should not be created in a vacuum; successful organizations gauge its resources – people, processes, and technology – as their strategy is defined.
BPM Advisors, LLC (BPMA) also believes that strategy-related challenges are a direct consequence of confusion surrounding what “strategy” is and is not. Simply stated, a business strategy is a set of guiding principles that, when communicated and adopted across an organization, generates a desired pattern of decision-making. Business strategies are in place to help govern how people throughout an organization make key decisions and allocate resources to accomplish organizational objectives.
Strategy, Demystified.
BPMA strives to demystify business strategy by working with clients to understand and calibrate the delicate interdependencies that exist between an organization’s mission statement, value proposition, and vision. Together, these four elements provide the what, who, how and why necessary to successfully align action across an organization. By honing-in on these elements, and sequencing them in the right way, we successfully facilitate the process of crafting and/or executing against business strategy.
Must be in alignment with Organization's mission, vision, and key objectives.
We believe that for any strategic decision to stick (to be sustainable) it must be in alignment with the overall raison d'être of the organization including its stated mission, vision, key objectives, and culture.
Must be Implementable
Through our research and practice, we have observed a number of strategy initiatives that either do not live up to their potential or yield too little impact to make any discernible benefits. Yet, others never pass beyond the four walls of strategic decision sessions where they were formulated in the first place. We believe that the primary reason for failure of strategic initiatives, is the disconnect that exists between the premise under which initiatives are developed and the actual realities on the ground. Lack of full awareness of the operational realities are responsible for many of the "Pie in the Sky" initiatives or "Boiling the Ocean" exercises we witnessed in some organizations, that had no realistic chance of implementation.
It is our strong belief that Strategy cannot be formulated in vacuum. For any strategic decision to be effective, it must provide a clearly defined path to implementation in the form of a tactical plan with that has task level responsibilities and expectations, and takes into account the organizational and operational resources and constraints.
Whether you have an existing strategic plan or thinking about developing one, BPMA can either review and recast your existing plan, or develop anew, and ensure that they are implementable and will provide immediate results.
