How Good Is Your Strategy?

How specific is the target customer as defined in your strategy?

Very Specific

Non Specific

The best strategies target a specific ‘ideal customer(s)’ where you feel you are best placed to serve them, relative to your competitors.

In terms of competitiveness, which best describes your proposed advantage?

Big Advantage

Marginal

No

The best strategies identify specific advantages that you believe will result in your ideal customer choosing you more often than their other buying choices.

How confident are you that your strategy pinpoints your key challenges and opportunities and effectively addresses them?

Really Confident

Not Very Confident

Good strategy identifies the most critical, pivotal point for business success. This is the aspect that, if addressed, would have the most significant impact on the company.

As part of your strategic planning process, were ideas discounted or put on a back burner?

Yes

No

A sign of strategic maturity is you actively discount ideas and put others on the back burner for another day.

If you asked them today, how many managers do you estimate would accurately describe your strategy and what they are currently doing to support it?

All

Some

None

Being able to articulate your strategy in a way that can be understood, remembered and aligned with increases the chances you will achieve your strategic aims and commitments.

How confident are you that metrics that track progress towards your strategic goals are clearly defined and are being actively monitored to facilitate course changes?

Very Confident

Not Confident At All

Not all your ideas will succeed, making adaptability crucial for strategic success. Tracking and reviewing key leading metrics can pinpoint the right time to pivot your strategy.

How confident are you that your strategy results in you achieving your stated aims / commitments?

Very Confident

Not Confident At All

The aims of a strategy can be varied, you will know what you have shared with stakeholders and committed to. If you’re not confident that your strategy will achieve these aims and set you up for long-term success it might be time to revisit your strategy.

Ideal Customer Specificity

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You've been very specific about your target customer which is great news. It lays the foundations for focusing on providing them with a level of value your competitors can’t match.
You have taken steps to identify your ideal customer but you can do more. Being more specific will allow you to understand them better and create solutions that deliver more value than your competitors.
You have taken steps to identify your ideal customer but you can do more. Being more specific will allow you to understand them better and create solutions that deliver more value than your competitors.
You have taken steps to identify your ideal customer but you can do more. Being more specific will allow you to understand them better and create solutions that deliver more value than your competitors.
By not specifying a target customer accurately you are likely to struggle to position your products and marketing effectively. More focused competitors will meet customer needs more effectively. We can help you build your ideal customer profile and turn the tide.

Competitive Advantage

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Great, you have or will have a big advantage. This will help what you sell get chosen by customers as long as they know about you and the buying experience is a great one. Think about how you may widen this competitive advantage further.
It looks like you have, or will have a some level of competitive advantage. To keep winning you should think how you can extend that advantage further. We can help you innovate and test ideas quicker than your competitors and stretch your advantage.
It looks like you have, or will have a some level of competitive advantage. To keep winning you should think how you can extend that advantage further. We can help you innovate and test ideas quicker than your competitors and stretch your advantage.
It looks like you have, or will have a some level of competitive advantage. To keep winning you should think how you can extend that advantage further. We can help you innovate and test ideas quicker than your competitors and stretch your advantage.
Having a marginal competitive advantage or no advantage makes business hard. It can feel very attritional and stressful. We can help you identify and extend a competitive advantage by assessing your capabilities and enhancing them.

Key Challenges & Opportunities

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Identifying and focusing on the biggest challenges is the heart of great strategy. By doing this you’ve aligned yourself with the best organisations. Focusing on these challenges in execution is the next step.
If you are not sure you’ve identified your key challenges look again. What’s in the way of you having a fantastic year? If you don’t nail down the biggest challenges and opportunities, you can’t be sure to address them.
If you are not sure you’ve identified your key challenges look again. What’s in the way of you having a fantastic year? If you don’t nail down the biggest challenges and opportunities, you can’t be sure to address them.
If you are not sure you’ve identified your key challenges look again. What’s in the way of you having a fantastic year? If you don’t nail down the biggest challenges and opportunities, you can’t be sure to address them.
Not being aware of the most significant opportunities and challenges is one of the most grave strategic failings. We can help you identify the challenges and articulate them to create a purposeful strategy. This is one issue you must resolve.

Idea Investment Selection Process

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It is often said that the essence of strategy is deciding what not to do. You’ve grasped that and set yourself up to focus on a limited number of key challenges. Great job.
Saying no to good ideas to focus on a few is a sign of strategic maturity. If you can continue this approach and limit your focus further you will be strategising with the best. Just remember that good strategy allows you to adapt as you learn.
Saying no to good ideas to focus on a few is a sign of strategic maturity. If you can continue this approach and limit your focus further you will be strategising with the best. Just remember that good strategy allows you to adapt as you learn.
Saying no to good ideas to focus on a few is a sign of strategic maturity. If you can continue this approach and limit your focus further you will be strategising with the best. Just remember that good strategy allows you to adapt as you learn.
The best strategies promote focus. This means rejecting some ideas to concentrate on a few. This can be hard when we have lots of good ideas, but it is essential. We can help explain why this is crucial and work with you to narrow your focus.

Strategy Articulation

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Many organisations develop a strategy and barely refer to it during the year. You have avoided that trap and made sure your people truly understand how you will win. This aligns you with the best.
If people cannot remember your strategy, they cannot execute it. Spending more time making this connection will help them align their day to day work with your most important outcomes. We can help make your strategy clearer, improving the chances of success.
If people cannot remember your strategy, they cannot execute it. Spending more time making this connection will help them align their day to day work with your most important outcomes. We can help make your strategy clearer, improving the chances of success.
If people cannot remember your strategy, they cannot execute it. Spending more time making this connection will help them align their day to day work with your most important outcomes. We can help make your strategy clearer, improving the chances of success.
People who do not understand your strategy will struggle to help you hit your goals. It makes it harder for them to prioritise and leaves them in the dark when tracking progress. If you engage with us we will teach you how to communicate your strategy effectively and allow everybody to connect their work with purpose.

Measuring What Matters & Being Adaptive

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Having a model of the metrics that drive your business is a common characteristic of industry leading organisations. Having this in place will make every element of your execution easier. Great job!
You have an idea of the metrics that matter but you haven’t got a full picture. This will leave gaps when you plan your work and assess success. We can help you build a comprehensive picture that informs decision making and prioritisation across the organisation.
You have an idea of the metrics that matter but you haven’t got a full picture. This will leave gaps when you plan your work and assess success. We can help you build a comprehensive picture that informs decision making and prioritisation across the organisation.
You have an idea of the metrics that matter but you haven’t got a full picture. This will leave gaps when you plan your work and assess success. We can help you build a comprehensive picture that informs decision making and prioritisation across the organisation.
Having a model of the metrics that drive your business is a common characteristic of industry leading organisations. Without it, it’s hard to see the impact of your work and it’s impossible to make evidence based course corrections. Engaging with us will give you the support to build a high value model of your key metrics. This will be invaluable.

Achieving Your Aims & Commitments

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You're confident that your strategy will achieve your aims and commitments. The biggest risk you now face is an executional risk. You'll know this. Have you taken our executional capability test?
To state the obvious, it is important that you believe that you strategy will achieve your aims and commitments. Do not wait until your next planning cycle to evolve and adapt your strategy. We can undertake a deeper test of your strategy and guide you to make it exceptional.
To state the obvious, it is important that you believe that you strategy will achieve your aims and commitments. Do not wait until your next planning cycle to evolve and adapt your strategy. We can undertake a deeper test of your strategy and guide you to make it exceptional.
To state the obvious, it is important that you believe that you strategy will achieve your aims and commitments. Do not wait until your next planning cycle to evolve and adapt your strategy. We can undertake a deeper test of your strategy and guide you to make it exceptional.
If you don't believe your strategy can achieve your goals, you need a new strategy. This can be daunting, but help is available. With our deep strategic skills we can work with you to build a strategy that positions you for success.