I recently had a conversation with a good friend. He was feeling restless about his website, his social media presence, and his overall message. He said he was feeling the need for a change, but really could not say why.
All things in both his personal and professional life are humming along smoothly. Business is good. Relationships are good. His brand story is sound. There are no storm clouds on the horizon.
So I just had to ask, “If it ain’t broke, why do you want to fix it?”
In a blog I posted almost four years ago, I wrote, “Doing something just for the sake of ‘doing’ is not a solution.”
Sometimes we get restless or itchy to make that next move. That’s OK – a little discomfort is good. Complacency is the enemy of innovation.
But while change can re-energize and re-invigorate, there’s a lot to be said for having a strategy (the “what,” the “why, and the “where” of doing something) in place before you execute.
Here’s that blog again. Enjoy.
Winning Combination: Strategy and Tactics
(Originally posted on June 1, 2011)
Many professional service firms package their services by aiming them at specific audiences or industries. These firms boast capabilities their customers or prospective customers lack, and the extra sets of hands necessary to deliver.
Their calls-to-action are direct, tangible, something members of their respective target audiences can wrap their minds around: “We’ll build you a Web site,” “We’ll create your Facebook page,” “We’ll help you promote at a trade show,” “We’ll help you sell bananas.” (Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the picture).
What’s often missing from the offer, though, is the STRATEGY—the “what,” the “why, and the “where” of doing something.
Without a strategy . . .
- How do you knowthat what you hired the services firm to do will actually achieve the results you want?
- How will you knowif a recommended approach is sound?
- How will you knowwhat success looks like (and how will you measure it)?
The fact is you don’t know.
Executing without strategy is like swinging from tree to tree in the jungle with your eyes closed. Chances are you’ll miss. Doing something just for the sake of “doing” is not a solution. On the flipside, engaging a strategy without tactics doesn’t cut it, either. Knowing what to do, but lacking the skills and expertise to execute, is like having both arms tied behind your back as you’re handed a vine and told to swing.
Recognizing opportunities and nuances in the marketplace takes expertise and experience. Knowing how to access and being able to deploy various resources as needed are talents not developed easily overnight. Trust me, I know. It’s taken me years to build a team of proven, trusted resources that harnesses both strategic and tactical aptitude.
Combine a great STRATEGY with superb TACTICS (followed with built-in, timely measures to gauge success, naturally) and you’ll be soaring through the jungle with confidence in no time.
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