The path to success is not linear, leading it strategically is key to thrive. The journey begins by setting the groundwork for better decision-making and execution, creating a roadmap for change that is guided by organizational needs and responsive to competitive forces. It includes how to get buy-in and stakeholders’ trust to follow your lead and build support for change by integrating modern techniques of influence into your leadership; narrow down decision-making options and build in checkpoints to ensure your plans and solutions are sustainable. It is about being prepared to lead your team through unexpected challenges and confidently pivot from where you are to where you should be.
It is about pushing pause your assumptions about the way things work, keeping your eyes open for better opportunities to better serve your customers, and use these insights to guide the way you make choices. When you think strategically, you put yourself and your organization in a smart way for success.
The journey in four phases:
Phase I – Assessing the needs. Which considers assessing the organizational environment, the organization, individual and team needs, aligning needs, identifying gaps, and setting goals.
Phase II – Decision-making. To complete this stage successfully is necessary to understand decision parameters and team decision basics; followed by the development of criteria for decision making through the identification of different options and selection of the best.
Phase III – Persuasion. Apply different techniques and learn how to define who your different audiences are and the importance of each one.
Phase IV – Initiating the change. Make sure your stakeholders are involved, communicate effectively, and plan for mistakes and learning.
Once you have gone through these phases, it is time to model and embrace your strategy.
