Corporate Strategy

All companies are focused on growth.  And with the acceleration of business strategies  and outcomes, that growth is less organic and more acquired. That means a corporate strategy team is working with leaders across an enterprise and considering a more diverse group of options.

From the corporate strategy perspective, options are clear.  They’re based on market comparisons and activity, forecasting and growth projections.  To internal leaders, growth options are more complex with inputs on relationships, competition and even prior experiences.  It becomes a balance of priorities, disruption and individual perspective quickly.

As strategy groups expand their internal audiences to explore options, they’re dealing with a group of listeners with less experience in the process and more conviction about the outcome. It helps to modify their communication approach to educate a team as much as direct a team on options and recommendations.

Corporate strategy ideas are woven into a storyline that is told from the outside in, gaining buy-in to marketplace trends and expectations before engaging on options and possibilities.

Content: Every strategy conversation leverages data, but data has to connect internal leaders to beliefs about expected trends and direction in an industry. While leaders may differ on recommendations and stand firm in their perspectives on next steps, the best way to influence beliefs is to start a group on common ground.  Once they agree on what’s happening outside a company, it’s easier to align them on considerations for what should happen within the company. We help strategy teams adopt a framework that builds common ground from the outside in.

Style: To deliver on increased growth demands, everyone on the strategy team has to be a key communicator. The brand of the group is based on everyone’s communication skills, not just the top leader.  We work with individuals and teams to make sure communication style contributes to the overall impact and doesn’t distract from it.

Situational: As companies look more broadly at opportunities, it puts more ideas in play across a company. Instead of viewing one acquisition, they may be looking at multiple projects at the same time.  In fact, ideas may be competing for the same pocket of money. It can lead to internal tension, confusion and even delay. We help teams build a cohesive storyline that aligns to one strategy and then continues to align all ideas to it.  This helps keep the broader picture in mind as divisions pursue their own options.

For teams, these three steps are the start of a Tailored Program.

For individuals, a combination of Open Programs helps you build your own toolkit.