Serengeti Skill #1

Show your support for the Lions!

For  lions, it’s all or nothing. If their strategy fails, they go hungry. For us, however, it’s all about organizing our thoughts, ideas, experiences, skills, expertise, and expectations to accomplish a desired goal.

Strategy is not just about the end; rather, it’s the means to that end.  For that reason, sound strategies must be flexible, not rigid. In its simplest form it’s a basic road map—albeit one that involves and incorporates change. This might make it not only difficult to accurately read at times, but also  somewhat dependent on future uncertainty.

If you are a strategic person—a strategist—you will recognize these characteristics in yourself:

• The ability to create multiple options for solving problems.
• You chart the course that others follow by defining the tactics, steps, and resources that are required to achieve the goal while keeping the bigger picture in perspective. You remain proactive and ensure that the plan is adjusted to meet the objectives.

Strategic thinkers know that effective planning and execution is a team effort. They’re highly collaborative and adept at weaving visions with pragmatic, timely initiatives, and tend to challenge existing assumptions and generate transformations over the short and long term.

Maximizing This Skill

To truly tap into your core competency as a strategic lion, you need to know:

Who you are,

• What you want,
• Where you’re going,
• How you will get there, and
• What you are going to do once you get there.

It’s as simple as that; build a roadmap, and execute the plan.

To create a successful strategy, you must first develop a goal and a written plan to achieve that goal.  Always include the following three key elements: 1) your objectives—these become milestones to measure over time and provide you checkpoints for success along the way; 2) the tactics you are going to use to achieve the goal, and 3) the resources—in the form of your own and others’ skills—that you need to effect the plan.

You also need to be aware of some pitfalls to avoid:

Becoming overly detail-oriented and shortsighted, and thereby failing to look ahead. This will prompt you to develop tunnel vision and lock yourself into one particular strategy wherein unforeseen factors may ultimately blindside you.

• Failing to monitor the environment and keep an eye out for opposition and threats from both the “inside” and the “outside”—and addressing them early on.
• Poorly allocating and utilizing your resources. This can result in wasted time and effort.
• Failing to delegate both responsibility and authority to others, thereby falling into the trap of micromanagement.

This is your life and your career; make sure you know where you are heading.