Having a strategic plan in place is big. Having a strategic plan in place that your team actually executes and is held accountable to is a real gamechanger. This is where StratPro comes in.
Strategic planning is such an important part of every successful business, but the term can feel almost ambiguous without a strong framework and approach to anchor it. Strategy of course means a plan of action to attain a goal. In the case of business ownership, that usually means launching, growing, and eventually exiting the business. But there is a crucial element missing to that simple definition. Alignment.
Building and executing a strategy is never a one-person show, even for the most talented and capable business owner. At TAB, we have developed a strategic planning, execution, and alignment engagement we call StratPro (where strategy meets productivity). And StratPro is as much about creating alignment as it is mapping out the destiny of your business.
StratPro almost redefines the term “strategic planning” to one that better embraces your team, their voices, and their support of your overall organizational goals. StratPro will guide you in developing a comprehensive and executable strategic plan, which is an incredibly powerful success builder. But perhaps the most surprising StratPro outcome is the transformation you will notice in your team. StratPro wields massive impact to employee satisfaction, accountability, leadership development, and so many other elements that affect overall company culture and long-term success.
Getting the right people in place, getting them aligned, and engaging them in collaboration brings tremendous energy to the table. One thing we have noticed throughout all our StratPro engagements is there always seems to be at least one team member who is outwardly skeptical. You can just see it in their demeanor and interactions. Maybe even an eye roll here and there. But then watching those doubters as they begin to engage is so impactful. On the other hand, realizing that someone you thought was critical to your team isn’t actually willing to engage in your strategic journey can also be powerful and enlightening.
So again, a strategic plan is almost the byproduct of creating a culture of productivity, alignment, engagement, innovation, and accountability. And it starts with your Strategic Leadership Team. By first presenting them the opportunity and tools to buy in and take ownership, they then propagate the culture throughout the entire organization.
It is simple really. The more your business relies on you as the business owner, the less equity you actually maintain in your company. So, by building alignment and accountability (with a healthy dose of delegation) throughout your business, you have intentionally increased the value of your company. How is that for a great strategy?
If you are a business owner without a clearly defined vision for where you want to take your organization and, well, your life, ask yourself:
- Are you burned out?
- Do you dread certain tasks?
- Are you consistently working too many hours?
- How well do you and your strategic leadership team handle conflict?
- How aligned is your leadership team?
- How many leadership team members can accurately verbalize your company vision?
- Can they clearly articulate your organization’s culture and values?
- How accountable is your team?
- Does everyone on your leadership team know who is accountable for what?
After successfully engaging in StratPro you will have a clearly defined vision of where you want to be as a business owner and where you want to take your organization with:
- An aligned team.
- An identified culture to embrace and expand on.
- A thriving environment that fosters business growth and enhances value..
- A path to exit in whichever form makes the most sense to you.
It is time to focus on those things that will truly propel your business forward. It is time for strategy. It is time for productivity. It is time for alignment. It is time for StratPro.
Blair Koch is the CEO of TAB Denver West, a TAB CEO Advisory Board Facilitator, and a Business Ownership Lifecycle Coach. Blair has spent most of her career helping small business owners achieve their personal and professional goals. She also hosts the Best Businesses in Denver podcast.
