Comments on: Why do senior managers and directors avoid strategy? https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/ Connecting you to your customer Sat, 04 Jun 2016 19:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 By: Julian Rawel https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-184 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 19:54:12 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-184 In reply to Neeraj Verma.

Hi Neeraj
Thanks for your comments.
If your system actually results in getting things done then that’s great. And if what gets done is really strategic then that’s even better.
Regards
Julian

]]> By: Neeraj Verma https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-183 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 16:39:17 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-183 Dear Julian
Excellent article. It is very practical and almost all organisations go through this. In our organisation, we are backed up by a strong Governance team which ensures follow up of bullet points/ tasks / projects as discussed in strategy meetings. Having an independent, strong, empowered governance team who report directly to the higher ups will help. We have seen a big difference, strategic discussions are not limited to only white board or flip charts. They lead to concrete actions and follow ups.

]]> By: Julian Rawel https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-182 Tue, 31 May 2016 16:53:16 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-182 In reply to Tim heeley.

Hi Tim
Thanks for your comment.
I think you are correct – strategy has so much “noise” around it that it just is an ever increasing turn off or nothing to do with strategy at all.
Regards
Julian

]]> By: Julian Rawel https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-181 Tue, 31 May 2016 11:06:15 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-181 In reply to GIRISH MENON.

Dear Girish
Thanks for your comments. Yes – managers do have strategies, but perhaps not the most important ones.
Regards
Julian

]]> By: Julian Rawel https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-180 Tue, 31 May 2016 11:04:17 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-180 In reply to Mayra Ortega-Maldonado.

Dear Mayra
Thanks for your comments.
I like your words – “what matters” and “easy to understand” – it’s a pity that so many strategies don’t focus on these.
Regards
Julian

]]> By: Mayra Ortega-Maldonado https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-179 Tue, 31 May 2016 08:31:19 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-179 Dear Julian,

Thanks for sharing. Very useful insights. Indeed, strategy should focus on what matters and easy to understand by everybody because it will support decision making.
Useful insights for my management project. Thanks again.

]]> By: GIRISH MENON https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-178 Mon, 30 May 2016 16:27:46 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-178 Dear Julian,
Very insightful article! It’s all about short term goals to maximise shareholders return & all strategies are made to achieve that goal! It’s a matter of survival for the senior managers & directors. So they do have some strategies in place!

]]> By: Julian Rawel https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-177 Thu, 26 May 2016 18:58:25 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-177 In reply to Rene Meyer.

Hi Rene
Thanks for your comment.
We all know that ever longer business plans don’t add value…yet as you say they appear to be expected by the same investors who say “be more focused” when trading is difficult!!
Regards
Julian

]]> By: Rene Meyer https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-176 Thu, 26 May 2016 06:50:07 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-176 Dear Julian,
Very interesting article and yes, it does ring true. Especially the obsession with ever more detailed business plans which document exactly what the future – short and long – will not look like – which can also be somewhat useful. Unfortunately often the environment of a business, like investors, etc. request them and the longer and more detailed the better…
Regards
Rene

]]> By: Tim heeley https://www.marketechoes.co.uk/2016/05/why-do-senior-managers-and-directors-avoid-strategy-2/#comment-175 Wed, 25 May 2016 22:14:12 +0000 http://www.marketechoes.co.uk/?p=461#comment-175 Julian,

Good observation.

I think your points involve something very simple and that boils down to an inability of people in positions of “power/responsibility” unable or unwilling to make a decision.

Too often it is done by committee or the overwhelming conflicts between stakeholders leads to the most sensible low risk course of action – No Decision and limbo continues in the belief that the status quo actually is a straight line (Parmenides Fallacy shows why this is bad!).

To make a decision requires strong leadership but fundamentally the ability to make a decision based on the clarity of the stated goals of the company, it’s values, mission and where it wants to be – what it wants to achieve and what it can actually achieve.

This is where strategy falls over – companies are confused about what they are and where they want to be and as such decisions are difficult – basically impossible – to make as they cannot be assessed by any end goal or within any framework.

Your mantra is correct Julian – less is more. Strategy is about rapid deployment and rapid reassessment, then rapid adjustment.

]]>