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Ep 16.5 Is There Actually a Valid “Just Keep Things Going” Strategy?

Your organization is about to conduct its annual strategic planning process. From all indications, this will be another “business as usual” effort, intended to check the box. The time horizon, after all, will only extend for four years, maximum.

No-one expects anything out of the ordinary to emerge from it – this is a ritual in which prior performance is improved on by a few percentage points.

But are expectations too low? And if this to be the norm each year, should a plan require more than just a single person making simple edits?

Is there a problem with this approach?

Tune into this episode to join me in tackling this wicked problem. Enjoy this complimentary episode of the podcast.

P.S. Remember to register for the Long-Term Strategic Planning Conference here – https://strategyconf.fwconsulting.com

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Ep 16 Getting Deep Stakeholder Buy-In to Strategic Plans

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com

You are starting a fresh strategic planning effort but you are concerned that executives are not doing enough to engage stakeholders. From prior experience you know that plans can fall on their face once they are announced.

But what should be done to ensure effective implementation? You have heard a number of ideas, but will they fit the culture of your company? This seems to involve more than just completing a successful retreat and printing out copies of a document.

You need your own approach to engage stakeholders or risk the whole thing becoming a wasted exercise.

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Anthony Taylor, as we solve this wicked problem together.

I’m Francis Wade and welcome to the JumpLeap Strategy Long-Term Podcast

Watch the Excerpt below. The full version in video and audio is available to subscribers.

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Unveiling the Foundation: The Assumptions Behind Your Strategic Plan

In the realm of strategic planning, crafting a comprehensive roadmap for the future can be both exhilarating and daunting. Your team invests time, resources, and creativity to develop a plan that promises to revolutionize your industry and propel your organization to new heights. However, despite meticulous planning, unforeseen disruptions can quickly render your strategic aspirations obsolete. In such moments of uncertainty, understanding the underlying assumptions behind your plan becomes paramount. Here’s why: Recognizing the Transient Nature of Strategic Plans Strategic planning often conjures images of meticulously outlined steps and detailed implementation strategies. However, beneath the surface of these plans lie a myriad of assumptions – assumptions that shape the very foundation of your strategic vision. These assumptions emerge during intense brainstorming sessions, fueled by a blend of data, anecdotes, and expert opinions. Yet, amid the flurry of ideas and debates, it’s impossible to validate every assumption conclusively. Instead, strategic decisions are often based on a combination of informed judgment and intuition. To mitigate the risk of overlooking critical assumptions, it’s imperative to foster an environment of inclusivity and collaboration during planning sessions. By ensuring that all key stakeholders are actively engaged in the process, you can harness a diverse range of perspectives and insights, strengthening the foundation of your strategic plan. Capturing and Monitoring Assumptions One of the greatest challenges in strategic planning lies in effectively capturing and monitoring the underlying assumptions that underpin your plan. While participants may leave planning sessions with a sense of confidence in their strategy, the dynamic nature of business environments means that assumptions are subject to constant change. Without a mechanism to track these assumptions, your team may fail to recognize emerging trends or shifts in market dynamics until it’s too late. To address this challenge, consider implementing a strategy map – a visual representation of the cause-and-effect relationships between key assumptions and strategic objectives. This tool serves as a reference document, allowing your team to monitor the interconnectedness of assumptions and identify potential areas of vulnerability. Additionally, conducting regular “pre-mortem” exercises – where teams anticipate potential points of failure and weak assumptions – can help proactively mitigate risks and enhance strategic resilience. Preparing for Disruptions In today’s volatile business landscape, disruptions are not a matter of “if,” but “when.” Whether it’s a competitive threat, technological advancement, or regulatory change, your strategic plan must be robust enough to withstand unforeseen challenges. By embracing a mindset of preparedness and adaptability, your team can navigate turbulent waters with confidence. Encourage open dialogue and constructive dissent within your team, empowering individuals to challenge assumptions and explore alternative scenarios. By fostering a culture of resilience and agility, you can equip your organization to weather storms and seize opportunities amidst uncertainty. In conclusion, the success of your strategic plan hinges not only on its vision and objectives but also on the assumptions that underpin it. By acknowledging the transient nature of assumptions, capturing them effectively, and preparing for disruptions, you can enhance the resilience and effectiveness of your strategic planning efforts.
Discover more about the LeapOut approach and the detailed strategic planning framework we use with our clients.
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Ep 15 How to Convince Colleagues Your Company Needs a Long-Term Strategy Along with Its Big Vision

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com

You are someone who is already a long-term thinker, working in a non-profit organization. Unlike many, you don’t need to be convinced about the importance of long-term thinking. 

Somewhere in the past – childhood, early career – you embedded the idea of long-term thinking in your character. And now, in your thinking. Now balancing short and long-term thinking, planning, strategy, vision is a part of your character.

But this may be why you are confused. Others around you don’t share this trait. They may believe in long-term vision but not in long-term planning.

As such, you feel like a fish out of water – always harping on the need for long-term planning, sometimes asking inconvenient questions.

You can’t understand why others don’t share your commitment. And it’s not that you are particularly ESG, sustainable or anything like that. Nor do you come from an old-school. You just sense that the company would make better decisions if it had more than the usual 3-5-year plan to go with a long-term vision.

But how do you convince others in the C-Suite, and the board, to think with an additional lens? If they already like the idea of a vision, they might be asking “Why do we need a strategic plan to go with it? Isn’t it just more work?

Tune into this episode as I tackle this wicked problem.

Watch the Excerpt here. The full version in video and audio is available to subscribers.

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Ep 14 – Making Hard Choices Between Strategies

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com

You are in the middle of a strategic planning retreat. The ideas are flowing and many of them are of high quality. If only they could all be implemented at the same time.

Unfortunately, there is a real world outside waiting, and a choice must be made between some great ideas.

But how do you guide the group to the point where they can all get behind a single set of implementable ideas?

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Amie Devero, as we solve this wicked problem in strategic planning together.

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“Presencing”: A Game-Changing Leadership Practice

In the landscape of modern leadership, the days of simply issuing instructions are long gone. Leaders now face a workforce that demands more than just directives; they want to understand the “why” behind the tasks they’re given. This shift has created a challenge for managers: how to inspire and engage employees who may be more focused on self-preservation than organizational goals. Picture this: your worst performers seem content with minimal effort, trading their work for a paycheck with little enthusiasm. Meanwhile, your top talent, though skilled, is constantly eyeing the exit door, ready to jump ship at the first sign of trouble. It’s a delicate balance, and as a manager, you’re left wondering how to instill a sense of purpose and drive. Enter the concept of “presencing.” At its core, presencing is about influencing what is present for employees and, on a larger scale, for the entire organization. It’s about creating an environment where the company’s vision and strategic plans are not just words on paper but actively shaping the actions and decisions of every individual. Let’s dive deeper into how presencing can transform your workplace:

The Absent Vision Statement

Think about your organization’s vision statement. Before I asked, it probably wasn’t top of mind for you; it was “absent” in your thoughts. Now, imagine reading it aloud, perhaps to a colleague. Suddenly, it becomes a bit more present, more tangible. But how often is this vision truly present in your day-to-day operations? In meetings, discussions, and decision-making processes? For many organizations, the vision statement remains a distant concept, rarely brought to the forefront of daily activities.

Interventions by a Leader

In the past, a leader’s speech could rally the troops, inspiring action and commitment. Think of iconic figures like Winston Churchill or Martin Luther King Jr. Their words had the power to move nations. However, in today’s world of constant information overload, a traditional speech may fall flat. Employees are bombarded with messages from all directions, making it challenging to cut through the noise. So, how can a leader effectively engage their team? Look to interactive and engaging practices from everyday life. Consider the rituals of a Rotary Club meeting. The ringing of a bell, reciting pledges, and adhering to protocols all serve to create a sense of “Rotarian-ism” among members. It’s not just a routine; it’s a deliberate effort to make the organization’s values and mission come alive in every gathering. Churches, lodges, and even sports teams have their own rituals that serve a similar purpose. These practices may seem quirky to outsiders, but they play a vital role in instilling a shared identity and purpose. In Japanese companies, the daily “chorei” is a prime example. Employees come together for a formal greeting, recitation of the company motto, and sometimes even joint exercises. These rituals may seem simple, but they are powerful tools for creating a cohesive and aligned workforce.

Finding Your Organization’s Practices

The key takeaway is not to copy these practices verbatim but to find what works for your organization. What rituals, routines, or traditions can you introduce to make your vision and strategic plans more present in the minds of your employees? It could be something as simple as starting meetings with a reminder of the company’s mission or ending the day with a reflection on progress toward long-term goals. The goal is to create regular touchpoints that keep the vision alive and drive alignment across the organization. In conclusion, presencing is more than just a leadership buzzword; it’s a practical approach to making your organization’s vision a living, breathing reality. By finding ways to make your vision statement present in the day-to-day operations, you can inspire action, foster engagement, and drive your game-changing strategic plans forward.
Continue your learning. Here's the LeapOut approach and the detailed strategic planning framework we use with our clients.
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Charting Your Course: How a Faraway Future Shapes Your Present

As a leader, you navigate a relentless sea of deadlines and short-term goals. The pressure to be agile and decisive is immense. Yet, amidst the daily chaos, a powerful tool often gets neglected – the long-term vision. You might believe it’s a luxurious indulgence, a distant dream with little bearing on the here and now. But what if I told you that fostering a vision for a faraway future can have a profound impact on your company’s immediate performance?

Beyond the Transaction: Unlocking Deep Inner Motivation

Think about the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Many managers rely on the former – bonuses, commissions, and other forms of immediate rewards. These tactics can get results, but they fail to tap into the wellspring of human drive that lies beyond mere compensation.

Consider the most inspiring individuals you know. They may dedicate years to raising children, contribute to charity, or pursue long-term educational journeys. These actions highlight the power of delayed gratification, where the inherent value of the goal fuels sustained effort.

Unfortunately, most companies fall short of harnessing this power. When every task is framed as a transactional exchange – “I give you money, you give me work” – employees become conditioned to expect a tangible reward for every action. This transactional approach stifles intrinsic motivation, leaving them feeling uninspired and disengaged.

But imagine if you offered your team a chance to invest in their own futures, a future inextricably linked to the company’s success. Here, we’re not talking about vague pronouncements about “balanced sheets” or “customer benefits.” You need to co-create a compelling vision of the future, one that resonates with everyone on board.

Think about the GraceKennedy 2020 Vision and Vision 2030 Jamaica projects. These initiatives, crafted collaboratively with hundreds of people, charted a course spanning over two decades. Despite their extended timeframes, they demonstrably ignited immediate action.

In some companies, employees are so energized by their shared vision, they even volunteer to sell products on their own time. This illustrates the power of a long-term vision to motivate and inspire immediate action.

Navigating Storms with Purpose: Focus During Emergencies

In today’s volatile business landscape, agility and adaptability are crucial. You need a workforce that can respond swiftly to unforeseen challenges. However, relying solely on a reactive, adrenaline-fueled approach has its limitations. Chronic stress can lead to burnout, and a workplace solely focused on solving the immediate problem at hand lacks direction.

This is where a long-term vision steps in. It provides the necessary context that goes beyond simply “getting through the day” or “surviving the crisis.” It allows your employees to remain two-headed, addressing immediate challenges while keeping the long-term vision in sight.

Let’s use customer service as an example. Reactive customer service often prioritizes every single complaint, regardless of its validity. But a strategic vision, informed by a long-term perspective, can create a framework for prioritizing customers. Remember Michael Porter’s quote: “Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it’s about deliberately choosing to be different.”

When your employees understand the invented future, it shapes each customer interaction as a strategic choice, not just an obligation. They can use the vision to guide their decisions, prioritizing interactions that align with the company’s long-term goals.

These are just a few examples of how a long-term vision can positively impact your immediate performance. A forward-looking vision acts as a test of your leadership clarity – the ability to inspire action today by painting a compelling picture of tomorrow. When you plant the seeds of a distant future, you cultivate a more engaged, motivated, and strategically focused workforce that can weather any immediate storm and navigate towards a brighter shared future.

This revised version maintains the use of the second person (“you”) while offering a more professional and engaging tone. It emphasizes concrete actions you can take and highlights the practical results of fostering a long-term vision.

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Inspiring Thin-Skinned Employees: Transforming Insults into Purpose

In the workplace, your employees can be remarkably sensitive. The slightest hint of bad news ignites a wildfire of rumors, fueled by the rapid spread of WhatsApp messages.

What you perceive as unproductive behavior is often the result of your interventions only addressing surface-level symptoms rather than the root causes. As soon as you tackle one popular complaint, another fresh grievance emerges to take its place, leaving you feeling like you’re trapped in a never-ending cycle.

To break free from this pattern, it’s essential to rethink your approach to addressing thin-skinned staff. Instead of merely treating the symptoms, consider these three strategies for fostering a more profound sense of purpose and inspiration among your employees.

Hurricane Heroics: Unleashing Extraordinary Potential

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, we often witness acts of everyday heroism. Neighbors who once refused to speak to one another put aside their differences and unite to overcome the shared challenge at hand. In the face of life-threatening disruptions, people tap into hidden reserves of resilience and compassion.

But what if this extraordinary energy and resolve could be harnessed within the workplace, without the need for a catastrophic event to occur?

The answer lies in understanding the powerful influence of the future on human behavior. When people have something significant to look forward to, they inherently act differently. The problem is that many employees have become jaded, expecting only disappointments and discomforts from the future. This negative mindset fuels their hypersensitivity, causing them to perceive every error as a personal slight.

However, what if this obsession with the future could be reframed as an opportunity rather than a hindrance? Perhaps their reactions stem from a genuine desire to care about the future, and there’s a way to channel this passion in a more constructive direction.

An Urgent, Inspiring Future: Harnessing the Power of Purpose

The ability to envision a return to normalcy is what empowers people to bounce back swiftly after a hurricane. This imagined future provides them with something to look forward to, uplifting and inspiring them even in the face of tremendous loss.

As they survey the wreckage, they help others find hope, moving themselves out of their comfort zones, taking risks, overcoming historical biases, forgiving debtors, sacrificing time, and donating money. In other words, they tap into their hidden reserves of discretionary resources to spend untapped treasure.

As an employer, witnessing this transformation in the same staff members who nearly went on strike over cafeteria lunches can be astonishing. However, instead of dismissing your people as unsolvable mysteries, it’s crucial to recognize their wider humanity. As Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

Offering your staff a compelling “why” can be achieved by crafting a joint future that deviates from the default trajectory.

Your Company’s Peculiar Destination: Embracing Discomfort for a Greater Purpose

Most employees go through the motions, primarily concerned with their creature comforts and conveniences rather than anything else. In response, many managers become afraid to ask too much, habitually lowering their expectations to avoid conflict.

However, the reality is that they simply aren’t asking for enough.

Imagine a manager who asks their staff, “Are you OK?” each day. Eventually, someone musters the courage to respond, “No, I’m not.” The manager inquires about the issue, resolves the problem, but continues to ask the same question the next day, perpetuating a cycle of addressing surface-level concerns.

Now, consider a dramatic alternative: A manager convenes their staff to create a vivid picture of the department’s future – an invented future that goes well beyond business-as-usual. This joint aspiration becomes a win-win for all involved, instantly repelling those who are the most resistant while attracting the best employees who crave a greater sense of purpose.

It’s as if a metaphorical hurricane has swept through, igniting a shared desire to take extraordinary actions, even if they cause personal “discomfort.” This phenomenon was observed by Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, who noted that those who found a “why” were more likely to survive the concentration camps. Additionally, Frankl stated:

“… mental health is based on a certain degree of tension, the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish… Such a tension is inherent in the human being…”

“We should not, then, be hesitant about challenging man with a potential meaning for him to fulfill…What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.”

Unfortunately, prioritizing purpose over comfort is a concept rarely taught in classrooms. However, it offers managers a powerful tool to inspire and engage their employees. By crafting a shared vision of a future that transcends the mundane, you can tap into your staff’s innate desire for meaning, fostering a sense of urgency and determination that propels them beyond their perceived limitations.

In the face of adversity, people are capable of remarkable feats. As a leader, your role is to create an inspiring “why” that ignites the same level of passion and commitment, transforming insults and hypersensitivity into a relentless pursuit of a greater purpose.

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3 Whys to Embrace Long-Term Thinking

You are a leader, and are well aware that both private and public sector organizations must prioritize long-term thinking. As a result, you can immediately enumerate some of the main reasons.

However, there are persistent corporate issues that appear unrelated to long-term planning. Therefore, their sudden presence catches leaders off-guard. Failing to complete a long-term strategic plan can lead to three anticipated but uncommon issues.

1. Commitments at Cross-Purposes

Consider an organization that has invested substantial time and effort into crafting a meticulous three-year strategic plan. The document lays out clear goals, milestones, and performance indicators to work towards over that relatively short timeframe. However, when gazing further into the future, a lack of cohesion emerges among the executive team and board members. Each leader has their own personal vision for where the company should be in four, ten, or thirty years. But there is no consensus or shared strategic roadmap beyond the three-year horizon.

This divergence in perspectives can undermine decision-making processes. Without alignment on long-term direction, executives rely on their own criteria when charting the future course. The cumulative impact of this disjointed approach to leadership can be highly detrimental. It leads to missed opportunities, strategic missteps, and organizational stagnation or decline. Unified commitment to a long-term vision enables more focused decision-making and progress.

In addition to this problem, there is also a detrimental effect on the top issue that organizations often report in their strategic planning – the lackluster execution. In the absence of a long-term vision, perceptive executives often find themselves involuntarily holding back their support. Why?

They can tell that the commitment is superficial. And likely to shift in a moment. Hence, it is unnecessary to invest precious social capital, budget, and time into a fleeting plan that may have a 50% likelihood of being discarded.

  1. Missing Important Trends

I recently revisited Competing for the Future by Hamel and Prahalad, immersing myself once again in their groundbreaking insights. In this 1994 classic, they accurately foresaw the influence of emerging technologies.

It was quite interesting to note that they were mostly correct in their observations. Taking their predictions seriously would have allowed a company to establish a distinct competitive edge.

However, this is only one small section of the larger landscape. You may be familiar with the comprehensive PESTEL suite, which encompasses Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal/Regulatory factors. By only planning with a short-term horizon, companies fail to acknowledge the cumulative effects of gradual trends in all these areas simultaneously.

By doing so, they make themselves vulnerable to potential dangers. Additionally, they miss out on significant opportunities because they fail to consider the hidden possibilities.

For example, Apple had a visionary glimpse into the future, imagining a comprehensive ecosystem that revolved around their products, services, and the cloud. Most likely, they were in possession of the identical information as everyone else. What set it apart?

Around 2010, they devised a comprehensive plan that spanned a decade, gradually constructing a complete solution, piece by piece. From their near-collapse in 1997, they have risen to become one of the most valuable companies in the world today. In the face of an existential threat, they boldly seized an opportunity that came their way.

  1. Not Doing Succession Planning

Most organizations find it challenging to create succession plans. Why? Letting incumbents go unchallenged and accepting their perpetual rule is the easier option.

It’s only when you consider the long-term consequences that you realize the folly of this approach.

For example, it becomes evident that the necessary skills to navigate the company through upcoming transitions are lacking. A person nearing retirement may not be the most suitable candidate for tackling a new learning curve.

But that’s just scratching the surface. As soon as talented middle managers sense the lack of long-term direction, the sights of them browsing job listings and attending networking events become more frequent.

Over time, companies find themselves staffed by an ineffective majority, trapped in a state of stagnation. However, the situation takes a turn for the worse. Eventually, as the “last men standing”, members of this cohort receive promotions, even to the highest executive positions.

To prevent these three slow-moving disasters, your team must engage in strategic planning that integrates short and long-term perspectives.

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Ep 13 –  How to Convince Colleagues Your Company Needs a Long-Term Vision-Strategy

You are someone who is already a long-term thinker, working in a for-profit company. Unlike many, you don’t need to be convinced about the importance of long-term thinking. Somewhere early in the past – childhood, early career – you embedded the idea in your thinking. Now balancing short and long term thinking is a part of your character.

But this may be why you are confused. Others around you don’t share this trait. In fact, you feel like a fish out of water – always harping on the need for long-term thinking, sometimes asking inconvenient questions.

You can’t understand why others don’t share your concern. And it’s not that you are particularly ESG, sustainable or anything like. Nor do you come from an old-school. You sense that the company would make better decisions if it had more than the usual 3-5 year plan.

But how do you convince others in the C-Suite, and the board, to think with an additional lens? 

Tune into this episode as I tackle this wicked problem.

Listen to an Excerpt