11.21.14 Let’s Talk Strategy! TM 2014 Mid-Atlantic Conference & Exp Sheraton Premier Tysons Corne Tara Rethore Chief Executive Officer M. Beacon Enterprises, LLC © M. Beacon Enterprises, LLC. 2014 All rights reserved.
Dec 14, 2015
11.21.14Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
2014 Mid-Atlantic Conference & ExpoSheraton Premiere
Tysons Corner
Tara RethoreChief Executive Officer
M. Beacon Enterprises, LLC
© M. Beacon Enterprises, LLC. 2014 All rights reserved.
3
It’s kind of like moving a pyramid.
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5
Helpful to frame strategy as decisions.
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*Kevin P. Coyne and Somu Subramaniam, “Bringing Discipline to Strategy,” The McKinsey Quarterly, 1996 Number 4.Much earlier, Henry Mintzberg framed strategy in a similar way as summarized in the article, “Crafting Strategy”, HBR, July-August 1987.
Strategy is a handful of decisions that:
• Drive or shape most of a company’s subsequent actions
• Are not easily changed once made
• Have the greatest impact on whether a company meets its strategic objectives*
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What’s the difference?
Strategy Development
Strategic Planning
Strategic Management
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Strategy is about trade-offs.
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Strategy is about trade-offs.
Thus, strategy development is about frameworks (not blueprints).
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Strategy is about trade-offs.
Thus, strategy development is about frameworks (not blueprints).
To be effective, it must be about action and ongoing management.
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11
Two ways to make strategy real.
1. Know your vantage point
2. Choose where to start
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Two ways to make strategy real.Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
1. Know your vantage point
2. Choose where to start
3 vantage points make strategy real.
Tactical
Operational
Enterprise
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3 vantage points make strategy real.
Tactical
Operational
Enterprise
Think: “for the benefit of the Enterprise”
Incorporate: “How does my expertise
contribute?”
Specify: “How do we get this done together?”
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Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
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Two ways to make strategy real.Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
1. Know your vantage point
2. Choose where to start
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Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
Aspirational starts with what could be.
Conditional starts with what is.
Both are needed.
See also: Arthur D. Little’s “Ambition Driven Strategy”, 1999.
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Where you start matters.Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
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Throughout – address 2 questions.
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To what end?
So what?
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For more information…Let’s Talk Strategy!TM
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Contact:Tara RethoreChief Executive Officer, M. Beacon Enterprises+1 703.625.9124
Follow: @TRethore
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M. Beacon Enterprises LLC is a strategy development and execution consulting firm founded in 2007. We work collaboratively with individuals and organizations to ensure that the results solve problems in a way that makes sense for each business. We call this approach Strategy for real TM.