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The Difference Between Business Plans and Strategic Plans

June 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Get off the starting line with a great strategic plan.

Question: What’s the difference between a business plan and strategic planning? Answer: To some, there’s no difference, and both play a critical role.  But to me, it’s a difference in focus between planning  and action and strategic plans are the better choice when the goal is to get out of the starting gate and win the race. A full, formal business plan is great if you’re a start-up at square one, you’re going for funding or it’s a contractual mandate, or you’re at a major turning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Fix Your Processes Tagged With: , , ,

Billions in New Business Opportunities for Small Business

September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
IBM Supplier Connection

What do you get when you add six of America's leading corporations together in an alliance to open their supply chains to small business?  As much as $150 Billion in new business opportunities for American small business, that's what. In a press release on 9/14/2010, IBM announced that a six company alliance lead by IBM will launch an initiative known as "Supplier Connection" in the first quarter of 2011, opening the doors of these companies combined $150 Billion supply chain needs to American small … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Fix Your Processes Tagged With: , ,

Strategic Planning in a Challenging Year

June 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Focused Strategic Planning

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of being the facilitator for Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington (ABC) at their annual Leadership Planning Conference in Blaine, WA, overlooking both the Pacific Ocean and the border of Washington state and British Columbia, Canada. It was a spectacular location, complete with incredible wildlife like the eagle in the picture above. But it also focused the spotlight on the importance of a rigorous, regular strategic planning process for any serious … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Fix Your Processes Tagged With: ,

Strategic Action – From Horror to High-Performance

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Action plans make strategic plans come allive. Learn how.

If management consultants made horror films, most would somehow feature the theme of strategic planning gone lame.  Let me pitch an example flick and see if you’ll greenlight me. After years of neglect, Acme Widgetry finally does it – they “get serious” and build a strategic plan.  It is a good plan full of good information and well-intentioned statements about priorities and what is important.  At great expense, the plan is copied, bound, and distributed to key personnel who each … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Featured, Fix Your Processes Tagged With: , , , , ,

How to Position for Preference Through Events

June 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Aim for Preference and clients will flock to YOU.

Picture yourself standing at the top of a large pyramid.  This pyramid represents your business.  Maybe it has your logo on it, maybe you’ve decorated it, or maybe you’re a minimalist and it looks like a line drawing – it’s up to you.  The important part is there you are, at the top, directing and overseeing that which you have created: your own enterprise.  But it can get lonely at the top so let’s add some people. Now picture people milling around the base of the pyramid, as well … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Fix Your Processes, Right Processes Tagged With: , , ,

Laser Focus and The Perfect Client

March 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Extreme focus means extreme clarity - in marketing, sales, and profit.

If law enforcement officers were business people, they would never struggle with questions like, “Who is my Perfect Client?” or, “Will I run out of customers if I focus on a select niche?” They would just know with confidence who they’re after. Take this extreme example from my past. It was early January of 1993 when Officer Harlan Graham of the Iowa State Patrol pulled me over north of Decorah, Ia.  Having wrecked my car the week before and now traveling seven miles over the limit, I was an easy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Fix Your Processes, Right Processes Tagged With: , , , ,

Making Business Resolutions Happen

January 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Use Performance Factors to make resolutions stick and High Performance happen.

We are at an interesting time.  A struggling economy is forcing many businesses into creative action to improve their position right at the turn of the year, a time when many naturally resolve to improve and do better any way. While this double whammy of introspection still hasn’t inspired everyone to new levels of action and success, in my own practice, I have definitely noticed an uptick in leaders pulling out all stops and resolving to make 2009 a growth year despite conventional wisdom. So what are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Accountability, Action Planning, Fix Your Processes, Issue Discovery, Performance Factors, Reboot Potential, Restore High Performance Tagged With: , , , ,

Building a Culture of Profitability

December 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Have you established profit as a goal and planned for it? You should...

Every once in a while a product comes a long that makes you shake your head and ask, “But how do they make money?”  This Christmas, one lucky recipient on my list is receiving a telephone device that promises free domestic long distance charges for the life of the unit for no fees beyond the initial purchase price paid by yours truly. That’s an extreme example, but even in companies where the business model is obvious, profit is often elusive.  We struggle to assemble the secret sauce that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Advisory Perspective, Fix Your Processes, Restore High Performance Tagged With: , , ,

Block and Tackle, But Know Your Goal

November 4, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Set the right goals and follow up with the right action plans for high performance.

In a classic 1964 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Viking Jim Marshall recovered a fumble and made an impressive 66 yard return all the way to the end zone.  Unfortunately, it was the wrong end zone, resulting in Marshall handing a free score to his competition when he threw the ball out of bounds. In business, we’re often told that when times get tough it’s a mistake to over-think. That instead, we should just drive hard to get the ball and push down the field at all costs, but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Action Planning, Fix Your Processes, Issue Discovery, Reboot Potential Tagged With: , , ,

Managing for Challenging Times

July 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Tough times call for tough management - and lots of focus.

Every economic cycle poses unique challenges, meaning some businesses are hit harder than others, but nobody escapes forever.  Whether it’s election year uncertainties, mortgage meltdowns, credit crises or some other scare, forces simply conspire from time to time to generate a unique blend of self-induced societal hysteria easily rivaling the effects of any Starbucks five-shot venti mocha latte in the blood stream of the average business owner.  In short, it’s easy to be left feeling frazzled, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Accountability, Action Planning, Fix Your Processes, Performance Factors, Restore High Performance Tagged With: , , , , , ,