We all know that successful differentiation is the key to higher profits. Unless you offer something that a competitor doesn’t offer, you will almost always get sucked into a game of “who can charge the lowest price”. Unfortunately a lot of competitors know this, and are trying to differentiate in exactly the same way […]
Continue readingMany executives face the prospect of strategic planning with a certain amount of dread. Some of this may be the result of poorly designed processes that make strategy meetings dull and useless, but some comes from the anxiety we feel when we consider an uncertain future. This anxiety comes from three main issues: The future […]
Continue readingHow can you tell when your distinction is real? This question comes up often in strategic planning meetings because real differentiation is extremely important in almost all markets. It’s also an important question because we tend towards a kind of self-delusion that comes up in strategic planning. By making ourselves think we are better than […]
Continue readingWhat are your strategic planning problems? Many executives know they need a strategic plan but are left unsatisfied with their planning efforts. Therefore, we would like to know what you find most frustrating/disappointing about your strategic planning process. Please click on the link below to answer a short survey about Strategic Planning: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/strat12019 If you […]
Continue reading“Ecosystem” is a funny word to use when talking about strategy. Historically, the term has been used to talk about natural ecosystems. So how can we use that understanding for a better sense of how our strategy can work? In nature, one of the key concepts we can use to understand ecosystems is a dynamic […]
Continue readingAs you may know from Simplified Strategic Planning, we tend to counsel companies to pursue either the low cost/price strategy (think Henry Ford or Sam Walton) or one of the two specialty strategies, differentiation or niche strategies. All three are good, but we tend to favor the specialty strategies because the profit margins are higher. […]
Continue readingPursuing a competitive advantage strategy One of the biggest struggles in strategy is pushing a bold, distinctive identity for your company and brand. This is so common that we start the strategic planning process assuming that we haven’t pushed the envelope. We need solid reasons to venture out into (sometimes uncomfortable) new territory. There are […]
Continue readingWe live, as the old proverb says, in interesting times. This can be exciting – especially if you are the disruptor, changing the industry you are in. It can also be frightening, and it can make good planning extremely difficult. When markets, regulations, the economy and technology all seem to be changing randomly and harmfully, […]
Continue readingProper strategic planning process steps are necessary for the long-term success of an organization The results should guide the future course and direction of the company, and attain success as defined by the management. What are the important steps in good strategic planning? Market Segments One of the first significant subjects the team analyzes is […]
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