Nov 23rd, 2022
Feature Article
Strategy
Written by: David Stevens, Director of Business Development
In it for the long haul.
Dropped in the remote wilderness in mid to late autumn, you are left in isolation to survive as long as possible with minimal equipment. As the fridged winter rapidly approaches, you must find food, build a shelter, and endure the onset of absolute loneliness. Your mission: Outlast 9 other survivalists who have been provided the same assignment to claim your $500,000 grand prize. Having no knowledge of when the opposition taps-out, how far are you willing to push yourself both physically and mentally?
This is the challenge faced by all contestants on the History Channel series, Alone. Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent many evenings captivated by the grit and determination displayed by the contestants on this show. It should come as no surprise that in harsh conditions like these, strategy is vital for success.
While strategy in the business world is a far cry from life or death, it remains a critical component for success. Whether surviving on the shores of a remote mountain lake in British Columbia or managing a multi-million-dollar project, these three strategy-related lessons ring true:
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You will never know everything.
You don’t need all the information up front to develop a meaningful strategy. You cannot foresee the future. Find ways to leverage the information you do have to develop a broad guidance for your approach and decision-making. As time goes on, newly acquired knowledge will allow you to fine-tune and improve your strategy. -
A decision is better than nothing.
Strategy gives us a basis to formulate and execute decisions. Indecisiveness, on top of severely hindering progress, is self-perpetuating. If we wait to make a decision and the results are inadequate, we double the negative impact and discourage ourselves from making future decisions as well. Acting quickly, by way of a predefined strategy, gives us more time to adjust and counteract a poor decision. -
Keep the Wite-Out handy.
Flexibility is key. The relevance of your strategy begins to decline the moment it is agreed upon. Revisit it regularly and allow it to grow along with you. At its creation a strategy is designed from assumptions. To achieve strategic success, we must learn from our surroundings and adjust to the changing landscape. A good strategy is never complete.
Strategy is a fundamental to everything we do here at Clientek, both internally and with our clients. It provides the structural support for our approach and decision-making while allowing us to grow and improve along the way. If you have yet to grace your television screen with an episode (or two) of Alone, I suggest you give it a try. While business strategies may differ quite greatly from that of a survivalist, the lessons remain the same.
Don’t tap out.
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