- Because it requires continuous adaptation,
strategic agility is a challenging taskmaster.
Like any long term program, it can start to feel like
strategy is a never ending process,
which, of course, it is.
If you, as a strategist, be sure to
watch out for strategy development fatigue.
Where the strategizing process can start to blur for you,
seeming like it's simply Groundhog Day.
A repetitive sequence that feels like
you've been through it over and over again.
Now, one way to avoid this kind of fatigue
is to incorporate what I call alternating rhythms
into the strategy development process.
For example, build in periods that are focused
more on incremental changes in strategy,
alternating with periods where
deeper strategy analysis over the long term is performed.
It's also important to continually update
the metrics you use to judge the effectiveness
of the agile strategies you've helped to develop.
You'll need a combination of short term
and long term analyses to know if you're
helping your organization to reach its strategic goals.
Now, if you're in a public company, sure,
you'll always have metrics
that are important to the investment community.
But make sure you're also tracking on the softer milestones,
that can help you judge ongoing changes in aspects like
organizational culture and breakthrough innovations,
that don't show up as easily on a spreadsheet.
Here are three other ideas
for making sure you're able
to keep at that strategic agility game over the long haul.
First, involve new people
in the strategy development process.
You'll be amazed at how often
line workers in the organization are able to
inform the overall strategy development process.
Of course the organization's leaders need to be involved,
but people in the trenches can have an out-sized impact
on the quality of the strategies you develop.
Next, ensure there are regular integration points
for the organization to synchronize on strategy.
Waiting too long to roll out new strategic goals
can impact the linemen in key parts of the organization.
And, re-energize people throughout the organization
by helping them to continually realign
their personal and team goals
with the goals of the organization.
Spend time collaborating with various teams
so you can see how the overall strategy you devise
is actually being implemented.
That last point is really important for you personally,
in keeping yourself and the organization
continually revitalized.
By immersing yourself in the specific
strategy alignment work of particular work groups,
you'll find yourself being energized
by the dedication and engagement
of people throughout the organization.
At the end of the day, the agile strategy
that you're helping to craft, is only as good
as the process by which it's implemented
and the people who are implementing it.
If you approach strategy development itself
as an agile process, and you're committed
to involving people throughout the organization,
you'll find that the agile strategies you put in place
will help the organization to achieve breakthrough results,
not just tomorrow, but long into the future.
Good luck.