Being Strategic: Plan for Success; Out-think Your Competitors; Stay Ahead of Change

by Erika Andersen

STRATEGY? TACTICS? CONFUSED? How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard someone use the word “strategic?” As “We’re not being very strategic about X.” or “We need a strategic plan for project Y.” And, if your organization is like most, everyone in the meeting nods wisely, the meeting drones on, people endlessly debate how to approach the situation at hand, with – generally – no one the wiser as to what “strategic” really means. Next time, “Being strategic means consistently making those core directional choices that will best move us toward our hoped-for future. Is this what we’re doing?” Everybody talks about strategy, but there is a big gap between discussing strategy, defining strategy and actually being strategic -- so you can accomplish something. This book helps you approach business—and life—strategically, explaining what strategy is, why it's important, and how to do it. Being Strategic offers you a step-by-step model and skills for strategic thought and action that are broadly applicable and thoroughly • First, get clear about the problem you’re trying to solve • Then, figure out where you’re starting from • Now, imagine your “castle on the hill,” the future you want to create. • Identify the “trolls under the bridge”; the obstacles in your path • Next, outline the path to the your core strategies and the tactics for implementing them. • Re-evaluate your strategy and your tactics as conditions change Framed around the story of 13th-century Welsh nobles building an actual castle, and weaving in dozens of real-life examples from her practice, which has helped restaurateur Danny Meyer and many others, noted consultant Erika Andersen offers a complete course in turning around a business, or a life.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Management, Leadership

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2009

About the author

Erika Andersen is the founding partner of Proteus, a coaching, consulting, and training firm that focuses on leader readiness. For almost forty years, Erika has developed a reputation for creating approaches to learning and business-building that are tailored to her clients’ challenges, goals, and culture.

She and her colleagues at Proteus focus uniquely on helping leaders at all levels get ready and stay ready to meet whatever the future might bring. Much of her recent work
has focused on organizational visioning and strategy, executive coaching, and management and leadership development. In these capacities
she serves as consultant and adviser to the CEOs and/or top executives of a number of corporations, including Spotify, Facebook, Spectrum, Novartis, Revolt Media, and CBS Sports.

Erika shares her insights about creating and leading successful businesses by speaking to corporations, nonprofit groups, and associations. Her books and learning guides have been translated into Spanish, Turkish, German, French, Russian, and Chinese, and she has contributed to and been quoted in a variety of national publications, including the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the New York Times.

Erika is also a popular leadership contributor at Forbes.com. In addition to Change from the Inside Out, she is the author of Be Bad First— Get Good at Things FAST to Stay Ready for the Future; Leading So People Will Follow; Being Strategic: Plan for Success; Outthink Your
Competitors; Stay Ahead of Change; and Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers. Finally, Erika is the author and host of the Proteus Leader Show, a regular podcast that offers
quick, practical support for managers and leaders.

Reviews

[Gene Babon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strategy is one of my favorite topics. This book offers a solid definition of strategy and presents an effective road map to follow. The delivery, however, would be better served in a workshop format.

Here's the definition:

Being strategic means consistently making those core directional choices that will best move you toward your hoped for future.

Here's the road map:

!. Clarify What Is
2. Envision What's the Hope
3. Face What's in the Way
4. Determine What's the Path

The author uses the idea of building castle on a hill as a metaphor for the process of thinking strategically. I like metaphors. This one, however, isn't fully developed or even contemporary. The Castle on the Hill is being built 800 years ago in the far northwest corner of Wales.

Still, the concepts are sound. Here are few nuggets I particularly liked:

~ The art here is to learn to look at obstacles simply as data.
~ One of the most important things about strategy is that it helps you decide what not to do.
~ It's kind of like MapQuest. The "Region" level is vision. The "City" level is strategy. The "Street" level is tactics.

I have to admit I skipped the various "Try It" exercises. This is where a workshop format would work best. You have a captive audience and a deliverable to develop within a certain time frame.

If you are looking for a more rigorous, contemporary discussion of strategy, check out my five-star review of Understanding Michael Porter.

[Khalil Alfar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pragmatic Strategy. Applicable at a personal and professional level. I found myself using it like a workbook after reading it.

[Keith Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great, not bad, kind of misses the competitor thing almost entirely.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for a long time before giving up. It was like a personal goal to keep reading, but alas, I have failed myself.

The beginning of this book is interesting and gave me some things to think about. It was also really circumlocutious. Every list, diagram and introductory road map was much longer and more confusing than it needed to be. Like, "First, do this, second, this... eighth, and twelve, and then, and then." So, by the middle of the book, the unnecessary repetition was too much and I kicked it to the curb.

Addition (May 1, 2014) - It turns out I absorbed one really monumental lesson from this book. To craft a strategy and create a solution, first you have to be very clear about what the problem is. Since reading that, I have heard and appreciated it several more times. Thanks, Book!

[Steve Semler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful and practical. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for career or business strategy help. Erika tells this in a conversational business book way that I find very effective. It is a practical workbook, as well; do the thinking and practicing and you WILL build skill in being strategic!

I would like to give this 4.5 stars (and I may up my rating). For me, having read through a fair amount of "classic" business strategy and strategic thinking books and leadership books, etc., none of this was new. If critics complain about that, they are correct. But, that wasn't the point! Erika's purpose here was to create a guide to being more strategic at the personal and group levels, and at that, this book does very well.

Again, for being strategic as a personal and interpersonal skill: 5 stars.
For business strategy and execution: 4 stars.

[Felicia Middleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book so far. Many books on strategic planning review the definition but do not walk you through the process. This book takes an individual through a practical process of strategic planning.
The 'Castle on a Hill" stories are a bit much but overall, a decent, worthwhile read.

[Aga Artka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book gave a useful guide to implementing more strategic approach to problem solving. A bit too corporate-driven at times, but still useful.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It taught me the difference between strategy and tactics. Surprised me. Worth the read.