“Your Escape From Tactical Hell”

We have all been there, losing control of our day to day and becoming more reactive moment to moment.

“Strategy is the only answer,” notes author Robert Greene in his book The 33 Strategies of War. As a business management consultant, I tend to believe that all business owners, entrepreneurs and executives would be well served by employing more strategy in their professional lives.

I don’t think many people would disagree. There is self awareness and recognition that improvement in this area would be vital. Yet, all too often, the days, weeks and months pass with little to no change in this regard. The thought or notion is there, but thinking about the big picture tends to fall by the wayside.

We can’t afford to go dark on strategy, but what stands in the way from turning on the light?

I believe that there are three common excuses that keep business professionals from choosing strategy over firefighting, being proactive over being reactive. These excuses come up regularly in my client engagements:

• Your interest or aptitude for your day to day work is lacking. People often rise to the challenge if they interested enough to do so. This becomes harder if you feel like you lack the capacity to successfully address the challenge at hand. At that point, your interest may wane, and progress does too.
• You are unwilling or unable to plan properly for the future. Whether it be a business, marketing, or 3-5 year plan, the content of the plan matters less than the discipline of planning.Even so, many fail to invest the time and energy to build a proper roadmap. The failure to plan comes at a significant cost, and part of that cost may be more felt than seen—a nagging sense that you missed opportunities that you nev
  er fully recognized.
• You have succumbed to day-to-day demands of the business. What may have been manageable at one point is no longer the case today. You are constantly putting out fires with no end in sight. You have lost control of business operations. You are now a firefighter with a somewhat larger office.

You can walk a better path. You can catalyze a real, tangible difference in your business and your life too.

It’s not easy, and it took me years to figure out what actually works. I help business owners, entrepreneurs and executives create true momentum in three very specific ways:

1. Identify your biggest problems and opportunities.
2. Make key decisions.
3. Develop and execute a 30/60/90 plan.

The first step in embracing strategy is being open to embracing change.

Are you a business owner, entrepreneur or executive who would benefit from a more strategic approach to your work? Are you tired of putting out fires and committed to finding a better way for your business?

I’d like to hear more about your personal journey.