Three steps to strategic choices with focus: ‘Not Everything Has to Be Done Right Now’

With all the daily pressure and tasks piling up, is it even possible to make strategic, focused choices in just three steps? In this two-part blog, Petra van den Bosch, senior change consultant with over 20 years of experience, shares her insights and approach to tackling this common challenge.

About a year ago, I worked on an assignment at a large retail organization that was implementing a new strategy. This strategy involved a staggering 120 change projects, all scheduled to be completed within a year. But what exactly are you asking of your employees with such a plan? How do you explain the extra workload and so many changes at once?

Everything Has to Be Done Right Now

How do we end up in situations like this? The answer is quite clear: in a world where change is the only constant, leaders of both small and large organizations face significant challenges. To name just a few: rapidly changing markets, new technologies, ever-higher customer expectations, globalization, and financial pressure. Large investments and high-profit expectations in companies, a lack of funding in the public sector—all of these create an urgency to act. Before you know it, you’re juggling digital transformation, cultural change, and restructuring… all at once.

At the same time, I’ve noticed that the success rate of many change projects is low. This seems to be a direct result of an overfull agenda. Programs go unfinished, projects are halted early, targets aren’t reached, and instead of reducing costs, expenses go up. Resistance to change grows. Ownership across the organization drops, and employees become frustrated. It just doesn’t work.

This is precisely what leaders don’t want! So, the key question is: what can you do to ensure your organization avoids this pitfall and works towards impactful strategic change? Start with the following three steps to work towards creating and maintaining strategic focus.

Three Steps to Strategic Choices with Focus

1. Be strict in determining and maintaining strategic priorities.
2. Be realistic when translating change into time and resources.
3. Be more effective by understanding the levers and obstacles on your path.

In the next part of the blog, I’ll guide you through how to make these steps concrete in your organization.

Want to Know More?

Curious about how to bring more focus into your organization? Feel free to reach out to  Petra for a informal conversation.