Captain Slacker stood up to deliver his operations order. He described the mission with enthusiasm. We all would board helicopters, fly to the landing zone, disembark, and take the objective by force. A classic raid operation. The rest of the battalion would arrive by truck. Captain Slacker ended the briefing with a loud hooah, fully confident. Our Battalion Commander was in the room listening intently. He seemed unsettled. I was a platoon leader in the Army, wondering if I was experiencing a lessons learned moment. My hunch was accurate.
Things went from good to go to bad
The Battalion Commander asked one question. “Captain, who told you that your company would be conducting the raid via helicopters?” Silence. “Your company is arriving in the trucks. Your plan is crap! Fix it!! I will return in an hour to hear your new plan. Hooah, indeed.” You could hear a pin drop in the room as the Battalion Commander left the room while we all stood at attention.
Learn from others mistakes to avoid repeating them – make sure everyone knows the strategy
We all helped Captain Slacker revamp the plan so that he was prepared for the battalion commander’s return. The second briefing went fine, but we could all tell that the colonel was still pissed. I learned later it was because Captain Slacker missed the meeting where the battalion strategy was shared. I made a mental note. Make sure I know the strategy before writing my own plan. It is a mistake I have seen many times in my career. Lesson learned #1 – make sure everyone knows the strategy, or else you will see plans that make zero sense.
Lessons Learned #2 – Communicate it often
As a leader, you remember the strategy. The question is whether, or not, your stakeholders remember it. Don’t be surprised if they don’t. You need to communicate the strategy often, especially for bold ones that will be challenging to implement. When obstacles arise your team members will ask why are we doing this. Reiterate the strategy to them – it will help you get everyone to the finish line, especially when things get hard.
Lessons Learned #3- Create a clever way to capture the central idea
It is difficult for me to remember stuff. We all face this challenge. You do and so do your team members. Help them remember the strategy by creating a clever way to capture the central idea. A few methods that seem to work well include using an acronym, slogan, or graphic depiction of the strategy. Some of you are probably shaking your head thinking this lesson learned is unnecessary. Trust me it is a worthwhile investment of your time to come up with a clever way to communicate it to your stakeholders. Otherwise, they will forget it quickly.
Lessons Learned #4 – Market it
Yes – you read that correctly. You need to market your strategy. Use a memorable slogan or compelling graphic to get the word out. I am a big fan of having a one-page summary of the strategy that you can use post and easily reuse. Another technique that seems to work well is to brand your communications with a slogan or graphic. Your stakeholders will see it consistently and be reminded on a regular basis where the organization is going.
Bottom line – leverage these four lessons learned for crafting your winning strategy
- Make sure everyone knows the strategy.
- Communicate it often.
- Create a clever way to capture the central idea.
- Market it.
Manage the top line: your strategy, your people, and your products, and the bottom line will follow.
Steve Jobs
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!