Simplifying Strategy Design: A Framework for Success

Strategy design can often seem overwhelming, but at its core, it's about clarifying what your business is and what you want to achieve. It involves making decisions and taking actions that either build upon your current strengths or streamline your focus. To make this process manageable, we use a straightforward framework: Clarify,

Cut, and

Create.

Clarify

The first step in designing a successful strategy is to clarify your target.

This involves defining your goals and vision for the future. A well-defined target should inspire and motivate everyone involved, creating a shared desire for a better future. If your vision doesn’t resonate emotionally, it’s unlikely to drive meaningful results. Think of it as painting a compelling picture of what’s possible—a vision that excites and energises your team.

Cut

Next comes the cut process, which can be one of the most challenging aspects of strategy design. This step requires you to evaluate and remove elements of your business that don’t align with your core goals. Much like a sailing vessel that accumulates barnacles and shells over time, which hinder its performance, your business may have accumulated activities or products that are no longer beneficial.

By eliminating these non-essential elements, you enhance your efficiency and focus on what truly matters. This step can create significant momentum towards achieving your clarified goals.

Create

With your target clear and barnacles removed, it's time to focus on the create phase. This is where you build the structures and initiatives necessary to reach your clarified goals. It involves developing the key pillars and action plans that will make your vision a reality. This phase is about turning your strategic vision into actionable steps and ensuring you have the right tools and resources in place to succeed.

By following the Clarify, Cut, and Create framework, you end up with a clear and actionable strategy that directs your organisation towards its goals.

It can be summarised as: “People like us, do things like this, to achieve that.”

This approach not only provides direction but also brings your organisation’s culture to life, aligning everyone towards a common purpose.

You can hear more about this in one of my keynote titled "Direction As A Strategy".