From Lost in Fog to Soaring: How to Move Your Strategy Faster
Ever feel like you’re driving blind—constantly reacting to obstacles instead of confidently moving forward? You’re not alone. The good news? The breakthrough you need might not be working harder or faster. Instead, it’s stepping back to see the whole road ahead. At a recent Strategy Reboot workshop, we explored specific ways leaders can quickly clarify risks, align people to move faster and navigate roadblocks in their strategy. The room was electric with ideas and ah-hah moments for the leaders who were at every stage—from leading startups to scaling their organizations. But the biggest realization for most leaders? It wasn’t just the new tools and frameworks. It was the fact that simply taking time to see the big picture—OBJECTIVELY—was already moving them forward faster! The Power of Gaining Altitude Picture this: You’re navigating a winding road in dense fog. You can only see a few feet in front of you, so you drive cautiously, reacting moment by moment. Now, picture yourself in the cockpit of a plane. You climb through the clouds, and suddenly, the entire landscape is visible. The detours are obvious. The best route is clear. That’s what taking the time for strategic thinking can accomplish. Yet many leaders stay stuck in the details. Why? The Science of Stepping Back Neuroscience backs this up—our brains work differently when we take time to step back. Reflection activates the prefrontal cortex, boosting strategic thinking, creativity, and decision-making. A Harvard Business School study found that professionals who spent just 15 minutes reflecting at the end of the day improved their performance by 23% in ten days. Imagine what a structured process for strategic thinking could do for your organization. Step Out of the Fog If your big initiative isn’t moving fast enough, it’s time to break through the fog. Here’s how: Right now, you might feel like you’re driving with foggy headlights—making slow, hesitant moves because you’re bumping into obstacles you didn’t see coming. But the leaders who break through? They don’t just keep inching forward blindly—they rise above for a clearer view. The faster you gain perspective, the sooner you’ll find the clearest and fastest way forward. Stop driving blind. Step back, get altitude, and find the fastest way forward. What’s stopping you? – Susan P.S. Want some help to clear the fog and move forward with confidence? Join me at the next virtual Strategy Reboot — March 14 and April 11th. These unique interactive half-day workshops are for leaders driving a big initiative who want to move forward faster. Participants regularly tell me they wish they’d done this sooner! Go to strategyreboot.com to register. Or sponsor someone you believe could use a fresh perspective! This article is part of my newsletter, “Fast Track Insights“, providing practical ideas whether you are driving a new strategy or getting one back on track. I want to help you avoid common mistakes. Subscribe to receive practical insights once or twice a month. And get updates about my upcoming book, “Fast Track Your Big Idea! Navigate Risk, Move People To Action, and Avoid Your Strategy Going Off Course“. #strategy #riskmanagement #leadership
How to Talk about Scaling People
How do we talk about “scaling” — when it comes to people? Scaling sounds GREAT when you’re talking about software. One line of code can support one transaction, and that same line of code can support thousands and millions! If we don’t consider the “WHAT IFs” early enough in our strategy, we can run smack into growth nightmares. Planning for scale impacts our purpose, portfolio, products, and people. But when it comes to scaling people, it can get complicated. And awkward. When you push people to “just do more!”, it can fall on skeptical ears. Today, resignation rates are surprisingly high despite an atmosphere of economic uncertainty and layoffs. Engagement rates are low. Employee loyalty and organizational trust are tentative. The very people we are relying on most in our plans for scale could get up and leave tomorrow. We need to think about scaling like an “ S curve”. A time for every season. A tree starts the “S” curve as a seedling, fragile and uncertain, actively putting down roots. As it rounds the bend of the S curve, the plant matures, but it is still in danger of decline. It still needs to be fed and pruned and protected or it can die. A mature experienced employee runs the risk of decline as well. The hard truth is the experienced employees you’re counting on to help you scale your strategy may not scale with you. They may not have developed the right skills. They may become skeptical, bored, or feel taken advantage of. They may leave or “quietly quit”. UNLESS — they JUMP to a new S curve! There’s a strategic inflection point when you have the opportunity to INNOVATE instead of decline, by jumping to a new S curve. It applies to organizations and it applies to people. You know organizations that have done it: • Starbucks started as a coffee distributor and jumped into running coffee shops • Netflix jumped from running a DVD-by-mail service to streaming video to a producing movie content • Amazon jumped from being an online bookseller to providing music to providing cloud infrastructure. What’s the common theme? Leaders can help people leverage core competencies and proactively innovate and learn by jumping into ANOTHER “S curve” instead of declining — or quitting. Here are two ways you can start today to help people scale WITH you: Instead of just telling employees “We just need to do more!”, you can engage with them as valued decision-makers who will shape solutions to help you scale: 2. Build TRUSTED PARTNERS to scale with you instead of simply hiring suppliers to get today’s work done. In my work with clients driving high-stakes strategies, I see government and corporate buyers who aren’t aligned with suppliers and partners. The result is confusion, missed commitments, and even lawsuits. Trusted partners prepare to “jump the S curve” together. They take the time to ensure common values. They discuss upfront how to handle risks in terms of contract terms, overruns, employee skill gaps, and capacity constraints as volumes grow. Yes, each of us needs to start planning for scale today — no matter what stage of executing our strategy we are in. And we need people to join us. Are you going to start building and engaging a team of DECISION MAKERS and TRUSTED PARTNERS to scale with you? Or are you going to be that frenzied boss trying to scale by telling employees and suppliers and partners to “just do more”? Welcome your thoughts. This article is part of my newsletter, which equips and energizes leaders with practical ways to move forward, whether leading a new strategy or getting one back on track. Subscribe if you’d like insights like this one or twice a month. Explore my website, www.gotomarketimpact.com, to learn more about my upcoming book, “FastTrack Your Big Idea!” as well as my offerings to help you and your team clarify your strategy and get results faster. Or message me, and let’s connect! susan.Schramm@gotomarketimpact.com.
Is the way you lead your strategy causing commitment phobia?
Next week is Valentine’s Day, and I’m again pondering the challenge of leading a new initiative – from a relationship perspective. In my work with leaders driving high-stakes strategies, I find that when people aren’t aligned, progress will stall. Much like that awkward moment when two people on a dance floor bump into each other. Heightened uncertainty these days about where the world is heading can cause lovers as well as employees and partners to question whether they’ve really found their match. Many people steer clear of anyone who is trying to push, control, coerce, or chase them, leaving some leaders feeling frustrated in their attempts to get people to join them for a new strategy. “Commitment phobia” can occur when a person is asked to buy into someone else’s plan, regardless of their understanding, beliefs, and purpose. Just like any dance, choreographed or not, two people on a dance floor need to establish a level of trust before the possibility of lasting romance unfolds. In the same way, even the BEST strategy will FAIL if people are unclear, skeptical, or not aligned to take action. Getting aligned takes more than just TELLING people your big new idea. To accelerate results, leaders need to INSPIRE people to take action. This is why I find that getting your strategic positioning right is so important. Your strategic positioning clarifies what you stand for, the problems you solve, and who you solve them for. It helps others know quickly why they should engage with you. And it builds trust. Are your employees and volunteers clear on your new strategy? Do your suppliers and funders understand why you are making a shift? Do they understand and believe in your new direction enough to follow your lead as you pivot? If not, stop and take a breath. Jumpstart an effort to clarify the fundamentals of your strategic position. Help your team and partners understand the problem you are solving, and where you are going. Despite how excited you are about your new direction, take the time to build alignment. You’ll find this “dance” is worth it. I welcome your thoughts! — Susan This article is part of my newsletter, “Driving a New Direction,” to equip and energize leaders with practical ways to move forward, whether you’re leading a new strategy or getting one back on track. Subscribe if you’d like insights like this once or twice a month. Explore my website to learn more about my upcoming book “FastTrack Your Big Idea!” and how you might leverage De-Risk System for Impact℠ workshops. Or message me and let’s connect! susan.schramm@gotomarketimpact.com
More than “Just Work”? Called for the Marketplace
While other kids aspired to be firefighters and astronauts or join the Peace Corps, I felt an undeniable call to pursue a career in business. It wasn’t just about making money or climbing a ladder. I wanted to be in business to make the world a better place. When I was asked to speak at Nehemiah Week 2023, a conference of Christian business leaders and investors from all over the world, they said this year’s theme would be “Called for the Marketplace.” It resonated. Business for Good I grew up in a family with roots in small-town businesses, people who saw work as a noble pursuit. Their businesses were a way to help people. Whether they happened to own a clothing store or a restaurant or a hardware store or an accounting firm, my relatives didn’t just sell goods and services — they were helping people! Sure, my relatives were making a living and supporting their families. But they were also waking up every day striving to help their neighbors solve a problem: selecting just the right suit for that big interview; serving great meals to college students at a reasonable price; figuring out the right part to fix a leaky pipe; translating confusing laws and numbers to file taxes on time. My family was also creating jobs. Their employees also worked hard to not only support their own families but serve the community. As I walked down Broadway in the small town my parents grew up in, I always felt that these businesses were more than a means to an end — they were a force for good. They had purpose. As I pursued my own career, I wanted to make a difference on a global scale. It led me to work in international tech companies with innovative solutions that connected people and communities. Little did I realize that the impact I could make wasn’t confined to the products or services I sold. Living out Values in the Marketplace What I didn’t anticipate was the profound implications my work could have as I lived out my values and my faith in the marketplace. It has afforded me the opportunity to serve all types of people — from new hires right out of school to working parents; from those urgent to move faster in their careers to those frustrated with burnout to others who have given up on their dreams. In my everyday work, I’ve had the opportunity to help people see their own potential bigger than they had ever imagined, whether they were employees or partners, suppliers or customers. I work with people to solve challenging problems using their God-given talent, time, and treasure — and help them get out of that uncomfortable place of indecision to courageously move forward. I especially enjoy helping teams who don’t know (or may not even like!) each other to get on one page and accomplish more together than they had ever thought possible. Even through dark days and layoffs, I have had the opportunity to help individuals see new chapters unfold by working with them to uncover the unique abilities they have been blessed with, and re-discover dreams they had long forgotten. In my marketplace calling I have had a front-row seat to support personal growth that goes beyond any spreadsheet or sales report. Through the years, the call evolved into a mission to make a difference through my own business. I am now an entrepreneur, helping CEOs, boards, and leadership teams of organizations of all sizes to drive new strategies that make this world better. I serve as a force multiplier to help leaders achieve high-stakes strategies faster. It is work that is unendingly satisfying. Following Principles versus Protocols Throughout my marketplace journey, I definitely encounter moments that test my conviction to do what I know is right. When you view the marketplace as your calling instead of “just a job”, it can sometimes get awkward and uncomfortable. Many times it has meant challenging a decision that contradicted the direction of those in authority. Sometimes, it meant saying “no” to a client or partner, even though it could help make revenue goals. At times, taking these risks has caused me to question myself. It has even led to panic attacks in the middle of the night as I wondered about the impact my decisions would have on my career and my family. Yet, I discovered that staying aligned with my beliefs has been more important than conforming. I could sleep at night knowing I was aligned with my values, and rest in my faith that God has a bigger purpose for my work. A Necessary Evil? Or an Opportunity? I know some see work as a necessary evil to fund the more important impact they want to have outside of their 9-5 job. Some see business as negative — ranging from merely mundane to inherently exploitive. Some believe meaningful change can only be accomplished through sweeping governmental initiatives or political shakeups. But my own enthusiasm for business as a force for good has grown even stronger over time as I’ve seen people at work in the marketplace making a meaningful difference in individual lives and their communities. The impact reaches far beyond the products and services we offer; it’s about finding purpose in life through embodying our values to equip others. I find my work energizing and I’m not alone. The US Purpose Index found that purpose-oriented workers have 64% higher levels of fulfillment at work. One study even found people who find purpose in life actually live longer! Explore Your Own Calling Whatever role or title or hat you might be wearing today, you have the power to make a difference in the lives of those around you. By viewing your work as a calling to serve others, you can turn an ordinary job into an extraordinary platform for change. My hope is that you might find the marketplace a calling as well. It’s an opportunity to embrace the potential of business to create a
Tackling the Alignment Problem When Driving A New Strategy
I help CEOs and boards fast track high-stakes strategies | Go to Market Strategist |Board Member|Speaker|41 articlesJune 27, 2023 Humans are worried that there’s a big alignment problem brewing for Artificial Intelligence (AI). If you’re leading a new strategy, you may be just as much at risk. Brian Christian, author of The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values, warns that unless AI is aligned with human values, machines will make their own decisions – and some we may not like! For instance: o If you tell a self-driving car to go from point A to point B, it could run over a pedestrian jaywalking unless you are clear to value people over speed. o If you ask an AI chatbot to field customer service calls, you’ll need to train it to value keeping customers or it could end up refusing to give returns to optimize profit, or spewing unexpected comments based on a customer’s buying history. o If you ask AI to evaluate teachers based on student grades, it could end up rewarding teachers who game the system and terminate honest ones unless you train AI to value growth and improvement as much as the ultimate test scores. It’s become obvious that humans need to start teaching AI how to make decisions aligned with a very clear set of values, or we are all going to have problems on our hands! But heads up: If you are driving a new strategy, and haven’t gotten clear on your OWN core values, you can end up with an alignment problem too. Your values guide how you evaluate options. (In fact, the root word of “evaluate” is the Latin valere, “to be of value, to be worthy”.) Every decision is made within a values framework. In my work with organizations driving high-stakes strategies, I see boards and leadership teams assume they have common values. Yet, they never take the time to clarify what they mean and how they will apply them! These leaders may brainstorm some nice words and put them on conference room walls and splash them all over their website, but never actually incorporate those values into how they work. This lack of alignment results in inconsistent decision-making, confusion, and frustration among the ranks. It also erodes trust. Defining your core values makes decision-making easier under stress. When you’re in the leadership hot seat, making tough tradeoffs every day, decision-making can be arduous and stressful when you’re confused about what matters most. Clear values can help you prioritize, and make decisions more easily and with integrity. Your “yes” can mean “Yes!” and your “no” can mean “No!” without the stress of second-guessing yourself. Children who grow up in families with a clear set of values are able to navigate difficult decisions more confidently as teenagers, and later when they are far from home. In the same way, employees faced with ethical decisions on the front line can more easily “do what’s right” when your organization is clear about what you value and holds open discussions about how your values should be applied in different real-world situations. Getting clear on what you value will attract the right people. Research by Qualtrics shows that values (especially honesty, integrity, respect, and well-being) are more important to workers than even higher pay. More than half of US employees (54%) would be willing to take less pay to be able to work at an organization whose values align with their own. Another study by Blue Beyond Consulting reported that over 70% of respondents, from nearly every age group, region, company size, and demographic group, say their employer has the obligation to be “a force for good”. But purpose-led organizations have to work especially hard at communicating their values and training people to live them out, encouraging values-based decision-making that not only considers revenues and profit but the impact decisions have on people, the planet, and eternity. Knowing your core values requires being intentional. Nehemiah Entrepreneurship Community is a global nonprofit I’m involved with that equips entrepreneurs to build values-based businesses. They guide every founder to spend the time to get really clear on their own life purpose and values – even before drafting a business plan! By knowing your values and making sure your business strategy is aligned right from the start, they find entrepreneurs will make decisions more easily, enjoy their work more, lead others with integrity, and navigate the roller coaster of building a new business grounded in what matters. Getting clear on your core values requires reflection. Here are two tools I’ve found helpful: o One fun way to think through your values is by playing cards! Instead of starting with a blank piece of paper, the “Live Your Values Deck: Sort Out, Honor and Practice What Matters Most to You” is an actual deck of cards that helps consider which of 73 values resonate most with you, and provides ideas how each value applies in the real world. The deck can also be used as a group exercise to foster conversation about what your organization values most. o A thought-provoking workbook I’ve found powerful is Identity and Destiny – 7 Steps to a Purpose-Filled Life”. by Tom and Pam Wolf. The workbook systematically steps you through discovering your God-given purpose by looking at your unique gifts, your personality and resilience profiles, your passions, and your values. Group discussions using this workbook can be life-changing. While there may be a lot of work to do for humans to train AI what we value – the real work starts with each of us! If you are leading a high-stakes strategy, the faster you get clear on what you value personally, and help your organization get aligned to make decisions based on meaningful core values, the faster you can speed results — and enjoy the journey along the way! I’d welcome hearing about your own experiences getting “the alignment problem” right! –Susan Schramm This article is part of my newsletter, which equips and energizes leaders with practical ways to move forward, whether leading a new strategy or getting one back on track. Subscribe if you’d like insights like this one