Successful strategy starts with what we care about

Jennifer Mulholland and Jeff Shuck, principals of Park City-based Plenty Consulting. Photo: Plenty

PARK CITY, Utah. — In a 2017 study, 87 percent of consumers said they’d purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about (Cone Communications CSR Study). Is your organization ready for a purpose-seeking world?

Plenty’s view of Strategy:  

We’ve been asked by several prospective clients to share our view on strategy.  It’s a topic we talk and write a lot about but the requests were a reminder to us that it’s been a while since we’ve shared it. Coming out of a time of a real reset, we’ve noticed more companies and organizations thinking about what matters most in the new world we are living in. Many are leaning into refreshing or recreating strategic plans all together – and there is a huge opportunity to do it more intentionally. We’re also encouraged by the number of companies working to become more purpose-driven. Here’s a quick punch list of things to consider when you’re charting your new future.

Strategy Starts with Passion

Napoleon wrote, “No amount of money will compel someone to lay down their life for you. But they will gladly do so for a scrap of blue ribbon.” He meant that when we’re at our best, we’re motivated by more than money.

Successful strategy starts with what we care about. Not generically, not in abstract – but what each of us cares so much about that we’re willing to prioritize it over everything else. So, start by identifying the passions of each member of the team, and help align those to a common set of values. And include your key agencies, internal partners, volunteers, participants, and donors in the process so their passions are represented, too.

Strategy Demands Focus

In an operational context, it is often necessary for an organization to have a wide-ranging set of effective competencies. However, at a strategic level, trying to do everything is a recipe for disaster.

Strategy is as much about deciding what you won’t do as it is choosing what you will do. Even passionate teams will start spinning if they aren’t sure which direction is most important. So you need to create a specific vision of success to ensure everyone understands what’s most important – and what’s not.

Strategy Requires Alignment

Perhaps the only word you’ll hear us use more than “purpose” is “alignment.” It’s not enough to harness passion and focus efforts. Everyone will have to agree with the outcome. Silos, backroom conversations, hidden agendas, and dysfunctional culture are always more pressing threats to success than competitive pressures or market dynamics. You have to agree to work from the same playbook with a shared intention.

At Plenty, we use a process-focused, collaborative, and iterative approach to purpose-driven strategy that is designed to involve people, hear them out, and bring them closer together, every step of the way. And we slow down on what matters most in order to help you move with efficiency, effectiveness, and speed later on.

If you’re interested in learning more about our model and method, check out Meridian, our strategic planning process, or read below to hear an inspiring case study with Starr Commonwealth. We hope your strategy for the weekend includes open space, rest, and things that bring you joy!

To learn more about Plenty, click here.