Common Sense Strategy

Common SenseStrategic Planning: 

Common Sense Strategic Planning Greg W. Gilstrap Regional President & Publisher Madden Preprint Media

Common Sense?: 

Common Sense? “Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” - Josh Billings “It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.” - Robert Green Ingersoll “Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius.” - George Bernard Shaw “Common sense is genius dressed in working clothes.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some People Are Just Born With Common Sense: 

Some People Are Just Born With Common Sense

Strategy?: 

Strategy? “Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy, it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.” - Miyamoto Musashi (legendary 1600’s Japanese swordsman) “The goal is not to develop ‘perfect’ strategies, but to develop strategies that take us in the right direction, and then progressively refine them through rapid experimentation and adjustment.” - Gary Hamel “Our business strategy is not to compete.” - Eric Schmidt “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” - Winston Churchill

Discussion Overview: 

Discussion Overview Why everyone needs a Strategy Who should lead it Tips to developing and implementing a winning strategy Q and A

Why?: 

Why? Private Sector Create and/or maintain a profitable, competitive advantage that can be sustained Create organizational focus Make critical choices Public sector (CVBs, State Tourism Office, etc.) All of the above Make tough decisions Defend tough decisions Manage relationships

Making Tough Decisions: 

Making Tough Decisions Number of good ideas facing typical DMO Number of good ideas typical DMO can effectively implement given current resource level

Who Should Be On The Strategy Team?: 

Who Should Be On The Strategy Team? Those who have the most to win and/or lose Those whose support will be needed Those who play the most critical implementation roles Those who best understand the competitive environment Those who are willing to check self-serving interests at the door Someone who can distance themselves from the emotion of the issue and isn’t afraid to call things as they see it Strategic thinkers

Who Should Lead?: 

Who Should Lead? Respected &Trusted Insider Non-Biased Strategic Outsider When times are good The future is bright Competition is non-existent or easily defeated Support is in order, and The team has demonstrated an extended history of working well together When times are challenging The future is uncertain Competitive threats are rampant Support is in jeopardy, and/or The team has not demonstrated a significant history of working well together

Who Should Make Final Decisions?: 

Who Should Make Final Decisions? Those who have the most to win and/or lose Those whose support will be needed Those who play the most critical implementation roles Those who best understand the competitive environment Those who are willing to check self-serving interests at the door Someone who can distance themselves from the emotion of the issue and isn’t afraid to call things as they see it Strategic thinkers

Slide11: 

Today’s Strategy Special: A Baker’s Dozen

Common Sense Strategic Planning Tips: 

Common Sense Strategic Planning Tips Disclaimers Not intended to be an exhaustive list Not in rank order, but if you follow this advice you will dramatically enhance the chances that you end up with a winning strategy Lots of bias built in – don’t hesitate to ask me where it comes from

Tip 1: 

Tip 1 Remember that none of us are created equal – at least when it comes to strategic planning

Slide14: 

One Person = One Vote

Tip 2: 

Tip 2 Focus on pro-active consensus over re-active consensus

Slide16: 

Bottom Up Top Down

Tip 4: 

Tip 4 Rome wasn’t built in a day – so why would you try to do something as important as a strategy in a single session

Tip 5: 

Tip 5 K I S S

Slide19: 

Simple and brief Detailed Vision & mission Goals Objectives Strategies & Tactics Implementation Plan

Tip 6: 

Tip 6 Don’t remove or eliminate the ability, of those charged with implementation, to be creative or innovative

Slide21: 

Simple and brief Detailed Vision and mission Goals Objectives Strategies & Tactics Implementation Plan Strategic Planning Team

Tip 7: 

Tip 7 Never let HOW TO to supersede WHAT

Work From Top To Bottom: 

Work From Top To Bottom Vision and mission Goals Objectives Strategies & Tactics Implementation Plan But, Make Sure Everything Reports Up

Tip 8: 

Tip 8 Attempting to be all things to all people is a recipe for disaster

Slide25: 

20 / 80 80 / 20 Pareto or Juran Principle “Vital few and trivial many – 1940s” “A mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in Italy in 1906.” http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Pareto081202.htm

Tip 9: 

Tip 9 See things as they are, how they soon will be and how they are likely to remain for an extended period

Better Strategic Building Block?: 

Better Strategic Building Block? Fads or Trends

Tip 10: 

Tip 10 Focus on causes not on symptoms

What Sinks Ships?: 

What Sinks Ships?

Tip 11: 

Tip 11 Focus on essence of good strategy

Principles Of Good Strategy: 

Principles Of Good Strategy Competitive advantage Profitability Sustainability Significant barriers to entry Ability to beat new competitive threats Differentiation

Avoid Differentiation For Differentiation’s Sake: 

Avoid Differentiation For Differentiation’s Sake “Many people may be interested in visiting a farm as a tourist, and they may be interested in staying in unique places, but that doesn’t mean many want to sleep with pigs and sheep.”

Tip 12: 

Tip 12 Don’t let a focus on measurable results, which are good, eliminate an emphasis on intangibles

Measurable Studies And Disney: 

Measurable Studies And Disney

Tip 13: 

Tip 13 Start with the strategy, be hesitant (yet willing) to change it and practice continuous improvement

Slide36: 

Develop, retain and grow forms of competitive advantage that result in desirable and sustainable levels of profitability. Research and Planning Sales and Marketing Product development and positioning Product delivery and customer service Accomplished through the successful management of the of the virtuous business cycle Customer targeting and segment prioritization

Final Conclusion: 

Final Conclusion “I need to practice what I preach, particularly in reference to tip #10.”

Common SenseStrategic Planning: 

Common Sense Strategic Planning Greg W. Gilstrap Regional President & Publisher Madden Preprint Media