Strategy is an eight-letter word that seems to mean something different to everyone who encounters it. We see strategy in its simplest terms as the game plan for how to make the best use of available resources to achieve positive change—and an effective strategy is one that you step into immediately.

Strategy begins with an important assumption—that you have a vision, a sense of where you’re going and why. The why may be driven by different sources (such as new opportunity, unexpected competition, or leadership change) and becomes more powerful the more closely it reflects shared values. A vision that is compelling and different enough from the current reality will pull people toward it, and the values that underpin it will spark excitement and commitment to seeing the vision come to life. Strategy offers a path to follow to make this vision real.

A facilitator brings objectivity, structure, intention, and some fun to big-picture conversations that may feel squishy and intangible. By creating the space for you and your leaders to come together openly and look forward together, you may be surprised how quickly ideas begin to flow. A facilitator will gently push you and your leadership team to stretch beyond your current way of thinking, to get at the heart of the conversations that people have been avoiding, and to come to a shared understanding of what needs to be different. We will spend time honing in on what really matters and how you begin to embody the desired change as a leadership team.

Strategy is the story of how you bring your mission, vision, and values to life—and because of that, it needs to have steps you can take right now, and mile markers in the distance that will continue to guide your efforts. We believe it needs to be pretty simple, even if the changes required are not. If it takes a several-hour presentation to bring the strategy to life, people will have a hard time embracing it. Make it clean and clear—and it will feel obvious to people, making them wonder why they aren’t doing it already.