Creating a Strategy: Week 11
Create Your Path
Post 11 in our 12-week series on Creating a Strategy.
Create Your Path
The last step in creating a strategy is to create your path and prepare to share. You need to do so in a way that’s engaging, easy to understand, and easy to connect with. To create your strategic path forward, think of it like telling a story. You’ve been on a journey of exploration and discovery, and now you need to pull all the knowledge into a plan of action that allows you to build upon the foundations you’ve established.
Set the Stage
Start by setting the stage. Look back at the work you’ve just done. Start with who you are, why you’re unique, who your current customers are, and why they buy from you. What does the competitive landscape look like? You have all of this if you’ve followed the steps so far.
The Climax of Your Story
Then, move to the climax of your story — your ideas. You had a sea of ideas that were considered and prioritized. You took your top priorities, and you’ve learned more about each. You’ve evaluated them and made key decisions on how they might fit into your or your organization’s future. You then narrowed down to the most important ideas and opportunities and why they’re important. Share this. Be able to bring your partners, peers, or team along with you on the journey you’ve been on and set the stage for what’s to come.
An Action Plan
Then, share your working queue and your action plan. Who is going to do what to keep moving these ideas forward? When will you be checking in on them? Discuss who and how you will follow through on your action plan and put names to each activity.
The Resolution
Close with what this might mean for you or your business. How will these fit with what your organization already does and sells? What will your organization look like if your new ideas are successful? Will you have added new customers? Will you have expanded to new markets? Will you have diversified your revenue stream? Describe what that might look like so individuals can get excited about what the future may look like.
Do all of this in a format that is engaging, informative, and digestible. The goal is to bring information and clarity about what opportunities are in front of you, how you’ll seize them, and to generate excitement about this work! Keep that in mind, as it’s true! Casting a vision of what could be and supporting it with a plan of action is exciting- this is your chance to bring others along with you.
If you need to catch up, here are the previous posts:
- Week 1: Unique Value Proposition, Current Customers, and Current Market
- Week 2: Competition, Current Challenges, Initial Ideas, and Aspirations
- Week 3: Exploration, Understanding and Empathy
- Week 4: Synthesis and Mapping
- Week 5: Ideation
- Week 6: Narrow and Focus
- Week 7: Review and Reflect
- Week 8: Identify Your Priorities
- Week 9: Look, Listen and Learn
- Week 10: Refine and Decide
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This Design Thinking for All newsletter is from Northome Group. At Northome Group, we put the tools and techniques of design thinking to work for you and your organization. We’re on a mission to empower individuals and unlock excellence through education, coaching, and easy-to-use resources.
Interested in learning more about design thinking and how design strategies can help you or your organization? Check us out at www.northomegroup.com or send us an email at hello@northomegroup.com.
