The three undeniable strategic realities for successful strategic development and approach.
Strategic Reality 1
- The only strategy that you will implement is what you are capable of.
It doesn’t matter what you dream up or how sophisticated your plans are, your ability to implement your best intended plans is directly related to your capability to implement these plans.
Take a look at the South African government. It has many well intended strategies for change, development and growth, however it simply does not have the capability to implement many of these ideas.
Strategic Reality 2
- Purpose, Values and Vision are the backbone of any strategy.
WHY we are doing something, WHAT we are doing and HOW we choose to do it are shaped by the ethos of WHO WE ARE as an organisation and by what VALUES we choose to live by. Twinned with this is a very clear understanding of the bigger picture of what it is we are trying to create. If these three backbones are not in place; understood and accepted by all, then organisations, countries and individuals will simply drift.
Strategic Reality 3
- The reality of strategic lag, that is, the impact of your strategy (positive or negative) will only be felt sometime later.
This reality is dependent on the size and nature of the organisation. For typical mid-size organisations this is likely to be two years; for larger organisations this is three to four years and for countries it is usually seven to ten years. If things are currently going well in your organisation, look back a couple of years to what decisions were made then. You will find these decisions shaped why things are going well at present or vice/versa. It is the historical decisions that are now being made manifest.
I think South Africa and the current circumstances we are facing are examples of all three of these and why we are failing as a country. The real effect of Jacob Zuma’s presidency will only be felt in the next year or two as his presidency term establishes itself. The fact that the ruling part has no common values, purpose or vision coupled with the fact that they do not have the capabilities to deliver does not bode particularly well. It is however, not to late to find focus upon these three strategic realities.
What do you think of these three Strategic Realities? Are there any other realities that you would add to the list? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
