Sadly, strategic plans often fail. You’ve probably seen it happen when leadership teams spend countless hours crafting detailed strategies, only to watch them fizzle out during execution. Why does this keep happening?
The answer might surprise you in its simplicity: organizations often lack a clear picture of where they actually stand, both internally and in the marketplace. It’s like trying to use Google Maps without letting it access your current location. You might have a great destination in mind, but good luck getting there if you don’t know your starting point.
The Root of the Problem
Many organizations dive into strategic planning without first answering the fundamental question: “Where are we as an organization and where do we stand in the marketplace?” This oversight leads to poor execution and plans that lack real strategy. Michael Porter’s definition encapsulates the essence of strategy perfectly:
“Strategy is a set of integrated choices that distinguishes you from competitors and enables you to achieve superior performance.”
Without clarity on your current state, your choices cannot be truly integrated or differentiated. Simply put, if you don’t know where you are, you can’t chart an effective path forward.
The Cost of Misdiagnosis
When leaders skip the critical step of understanding their organization’s core identity and market position, they risk:
- Ineffective Execution – Without a clear baseline, execution often becomes a series of disjointed actions that fail to align with a coherent strategic vision.
- Missed Opportunities – Ambiguity about internal gaps and external obstacles means your team may overlook or misjudge market opportunities.
- Strategic Drift – A lack of focus and clarity can lead to initiatives that, rather than moving the organization forward, scatter resources and dilute your competitive advantage.
Essential Questions for Clarity
To build the foundation for a successful strategy, leaders must, as Jim Collins notes, “confront the brutal facts” of their current situation. Leaders must honestly answer a series of questions designed to build a clear understanding of the organization’s current state.
- Why do we need to change now? Clarify a sense of urgency.
Understand the forces—internal and external—that demand transformation. Acknowledging these factors creates a compelling case for change. - Who are you choosing to serve and what are their needs? Clarify your customer.
Identify your target audience with precision. Knowing who you serve ensures that your strategy meets real market demands. - What prevents them from buying what you’re selling? Clarify your internal gaps and external obstacles.
Pinpoint the barriers that hinder customer engagement. Whether these are operational challenges or market conditions, understanding them is crucial. - How will you operate differently to serve them? Clarify your differentiation.
Define what makes your approach unique. Strategic differentiation is key to standing out in the competitive landscape.
Answering these questions forces you to confront reality and build a strategy that is both grounded and actionable. Neglecting them is like ignoring a small crack in a dam; left unchecked, it can lead to catastrophic failure.
Conclusion
The clarity of your starting point is the bedrock upon which a successful strategy is built. By honestly answering the fundamental questions about your core identity, urgency for change, customer needs, obstacles, opportunities, and differentiation, you prevent that small problem from growing into a devastating dragon. Remember, superior performance comes from a set of integrated choices made with full awareness of where you are today. Let TG Three help you harness that clarity and chart a course toward lasting success.
Need Help Getting Started?
If diving into these questions feels daunting, you’re not alone. At TG Three, we specialize in helping organizations find their footing before they take their next big leap. We’ll guide you through this process and help you build a strategy that’s both ambitious and grounded in reality.
Ready to get the clarity you need to move forward with confidence? Let’s talk.
–Ryan J. Dougherty is the Principal Partner at TG Three with over 24 years of experience. TG Three is a values-driven strategy company dedicated to serving Christian institutions to help get them from where they are to where they want to be.