Take a look at what you’ve always done—then decide what you should be doing right now.
Strategic planning has gotten more COMPLICATED as new and supposedly better tools and technologies have developed over the last several years.
Think about it, it was not that long ago that artificial intelligence (AI) popped onto the scene. Now the options are almost endless on how it may impact our businesses. Yet, we sometimes can get lost in the cool factor and not make meaningful progress with it.
Our apps are constantly evolving. The assets we have in them continue to grow. The data we can access continues to grow. And all of that innovation remains underutilized by most of our fields. Yet, we continue to add and train.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
The world of social media keeps evolving with no signs of slowing down. We have more options than ever to communicate or promote via various social media platforms. And questions remain. Often it seems that platforms come and go, falling in and out of favor just as we best learn how to leverage them. Yet, we must plan.
I’ve watched companies create plans a year in advance and a) add a new flavor of a product that didn’t sell very well, but because it was part of this long-established product strategy, launch it on schedule anyway or b) host events and provide incentives because those were part of a strategic plan—even though there was no measurable way to suggest they provide a positive ROI. Yes, there are other reasons to hold an event, but I prefer they not be a giant strain on resources or cash.
I could talk for hours on making good plans and wise decisions when it comes to building an Amazon strategy, not to mention how we tackle affiliate strategies.
The Road Ahead
In my 35+ years in the industry, I don’t know if there has ever been a time that forces us to be more rigid and flexible at the same time. We must be rigid (full buy-in) with what we commit to and more flexible in using data to adjust quickly to markets, products, promotions, etc.
As a result, strategic planning can now take many pathways and there are dozens of books that will argue that “their way” is the best. I’m a simple guy, so let’s look at a couple.
1 / We can reflect on what we’ve been doing over the past year or two and come up with a thousand ways to “make it better.” Rarely does it end up actually being better, but we can apply a lot of what we learned to clean-up or simplify.
2 / We can commit to going “all in” on new ideas. But, quite often, that involves a lot of change and—without a doubt—consternation both in the corporate office and the field.
My preferred approach is to define the outcomes we want to achieve and simplify anything the field touches. Generally speaking, as an industry, we’re overly complicated. While simplifying sounds great and seems logical to you, making things simple is hard—very hard. Be thoughtful. Don’t rush it. But be diligent.
Ask some leaders in the field (not just top leaders) “is there anything we’re doing or expect from you that is harder or more cumbersome than necessary?” It may be better if you ask an outside resource to do this for you. As many interviews as I’ve done through years, I’m always amazed at what the field will tell a stranger but would never want to say to anyone in corporate at the risk of sounding disrespectful.
Note: while tackling your strategic planning, create a “STOP DOING” list. It’s hard to commit to stop doing anything, but some of our activities—whether they’re corporate, team or personal—are not productive. Yet, we’ve always done them, so we keep doing them. Stop! It’s a super powerful exercise and creates a sense of freedom to focus on those things that create productivity and increase performance.
Take the time to conduct a very thorough planning session. Given the time to do it well, it’s one of my favorite exercises to do as part of my consultancy. It’s where teams and leaders, working on various aspects of the company, sit down for one or two days and openly talk about the company, its recent results and their plans for the future.
I have been invited to help owners facilitate those for a “morning”—which is, frankly, insane. For some reason, the idea of planning for the next 365 days on a Tuesday morning just irks me. This is important—very important. Taking two days works much better. It creates a team commitment. It flushes out the challenges and opens eyes to new ideas and perspectives. Rushing it will not create the outcomes you, as the leader, are hoping for.
Slow down, commit, collaborate and work very hard to simplify. It will be worth it.
PAUL ADAMS, Owner, Adams Resource Group, has been involved in the direct selling channel for more than 35 years. Over the decades, he has worked with hundreds of companies and been a trusted advisor in boardrooms with countless executive teams. From corporate giants to pre-startup, Paul has helped companies invent, reinvent and solidify their messaging, strategy and execution.
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