What are the most effective ways to build consensus around your business strategy?

My leadership philosphy is sumed up in 5 core beliefs. 1, Muddy Boots. You go into the field and ask two questions. How are you doing? What can we do better? Find an employee or customers pain and fix it. You will never need to be low price if you are low cost. 2. Intentional use of time. Spend time on the important, not the urgent. Carve 2 hours a day and focus on intentional acts and investments. 3. Make it safe to name the elephant, including you. make it safe for talent to be talented. 4. Live your personal brand 24 hours a day. People follow people who care, are consistent, are calm,and who coach 5. Balance, self care makes better leaders, so does community, church, and family time. Model behavior you expect from your people.

Establish a robust online presence where you can consistently share content that resonates with your mission and vision. This approach not only broadens your reach but also fosters a sense of community among your stakeholders.

Ultimately selling any strategy is about creating a compelling story beyond the numbers. To build consensus we need to ensure open communication, address concerns, show inclusiveness by incorporating relevant feedback, highlight shared goals, and involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process. Translate the strategy in the language they understand. E.g. tell a plant manager, what volume must he produce to optimize per ton overheads or what savings in diesel consumption must he achieve etc?

There is so much clutter around us that our thoughts also get cluttered. 90% off the time we do things just for the sake of it without understanding the true purpose behind it. Understanding your "WHY?" Takes time but it is the most powerful thing to understand. "Why?" Inspires action. Also effectively communicating your Why is very important. There is nothing useless than a stellar thought which can’t communicate to anyone. Human brain is wired to understand stories. Story telling is the next big skill which every entrepreneurial must have.

While communicating the 'why', it is important to communicate the 'current state'. And how you will move the business from that current state to another one using your strategy. In addition, very important to note what if my strategy does not exist, would the current state stay the same or get even worse? In addition, in some situations when the organization is so big, it is very important to mention what is in scope and out of scope in your strategy.

To build consensus around your biz strategy, speak the language of your clients. Too often we sell benefits before understanding actual pain points our product can uniquely address. The same applies with colleagues and bosses - your internal clients. Evaluate how your strategy can support their needs and motivations. Then tailor your message and benefits. ?? For far-reaching initiatives like genAI and DEI, engage stakeholders across teams in your strategy through a taskforce. ?? For smaller initiatives, involve influencers and early adopters in your efforts to build broader trust and advocacy. ?? Most important, give credit to every stakeholder involved - publicly acknowledge when / how you’ve incorporated their feedback.

True consensus in business strategy emerges when stakeholders are actively involved, not just as participants, but as co-creators. This approach transforms their insights into actionable strategies, fostering a shared sense of ownership and commitment. By genuinely engaging stakeholders in dialogue and collaboration, we harness diverse perspectives, enriching the strategy with multifaceted insights. This leads to more robust, sustainable, and widely supported business strategies, resonating deeply with the needs and aspirations of all involved.

I find it helpful to remember 1/ all value is derived from context, and 2/ all decision-making and action is based on orientation towards the context. Bearing this mind, its important to establish a common understanding of the strategic context and its meaning with your key stakeholders. This is best done by mapping-out the context together. Two useful tools are Estuarine Mapping by Dave Snowden, and Wardley Mapping by Simon Wardley. Mapping builds consensus because you end up challenging the map, rather than each other. Where there's disagreement in placement of things, break things down until agreement is reached. Once you have consensus on the map, consensus on what to do, i.e., the strategy, is more easily reached.

Be genuine in your involvement of stakeholders. Actively seek feedback on draft strategies or key decisions. This can be done through surveys, feedback sessions, or online platforms. Analyze the feedback carefully and consider incorporating valuable suggestions into your strategy.

Integrate data analytics into your strategy development process. By leveraging data from various sources - customer feedback, market trends, internal metrics - you can make more informed decisions.

In a rapidly evolving market, staying ahead means constantly learning and innovating. Encourage a culture where learning from both successes and failures is valued.

A plan without an end goal is useless: 1. Ensure that everyone understands their role in implementing the strategy. 2. Set clear and measurable goals that are aligned with the overall strategy. 3. Develop action plans with specific tasks and deadlines. 4. Regularly track progress and make adjustments as needed.

Setting the goal is very important for a business. And the achievement plan towards the goal is what keeps the wheel running for a business. So these two things should align always.

Did you consult your team while outlining strategy? If not, there is still time to. Did you ask ir do your customer research. Ask all the experts you can and align your strategy. You are now working to common goals and buy in should be easy.

Belief is key in aligning goals, include stakeholders in the construction of the targets, but it’s not a democratic decision. Leaders need to set the ambition, but context and understanding on the potential impact on the organisation will help goals are not just set, but are believable and adopted by all.

Following the failed launch of a new project or a product: instead of continuing to bang one's head against the wall an interesting approach I have heard about are to convene for a candid "post-mortem" session. This requires group humility: and all kinds of issues can be pointed out. It is not too dissimilar to a funeral or a commemorative service. It is hard, but we all walk away from it filled with something new, with more experience, maturity, or whatever you'd like to call it.

és fonamental parlar dels nostres fracassos. No es cre?ble una persona que sempre està parlant dels èxits aconseguits i de qui mai sents dir que ha fallat o s’ha equivocat. A més un objectiu no aconseguit sempre és una font d’aprenentatge i de millora.

Celebrating even small wins is crucial for several reasons to support the overall strategy where it boosts morale and builds confidence. It also establishes a positive feedback loop, encouraging individuals to take on more challenges and contribute actively to the strategy's goals. You can also use these celebrations to maintain momentum in the team and also encourage more progress through presenting it to the stakeholders in the presence of the whole team.

Aligning actions and strategy is a complex matter due to the necessity for objectives to be derived from the strategy itself, which in turn must be in the form of management outcome or impact indicators. Additionally, it is critical that the measurement mechanisms be economical, user-friendly, and inexpensive, allowing for the collection of a maximum number of samples.

Celebrating successes, big or small, boosts morale and motivation while acknowledging team effort and achievements, reinforces positive behaviors and practices. Analysing and learning from failures is essential for growth and improvement as it helps in identifying what didn't work and why, leading to better strategies and decision-making in the future.

As I referred on involving stakeholders; this will help most when there is an ongoing feedback mechanism. But the feedback mechanism will only be respected when the giver is heard. No point in wasting anyone's time if you will not act upon the feedback. Successful operations rely on feedback ( positive or negative) sharing and acting upon what can be improved and what needs to be enhanced. Trust is build through communication and constructive business feedback.

This is great advice. Sometimes the negative feedback is hard to hear but can be the most important feedback one can get. It has the most potential for growth and opportunity.

Don’t underestimate the importance of modelling and promoting your strategy in accordance to your stakeholder’s ‘whys’, ‘goals’ and ‘actions’ as well. By demonstrating empathy for how your strategy will impact others, then promoting the positives of that impact, creating support and buy-in will become a lot easier.

Advocating for your strategy both within and beyond the organization can significantly enhance its value. In instances where privacy or security considerations do not discourage external promotion, it is beneficial to gauge external perceptions. It is similar to engaging in a peer review exercise which can be valuable in assessing how others interpret and respond to your strategy.

Perhaps the more suitable term in this context is "evangelize" rather than "promote". Promotion is a deliberate effort to accomplish a certain objective, whereas an evangelist is fervently dedicated to persuading others to join their cause. An evangelist will aim to illustrate the substantial perils that the organization will encounter if it deviates from the agreed-upon course, and will showcase the idyllic destination, referred to as the "Promised Land," that awaits those who opt to comprehend the rationale behind the validity of these specific business strategies, as opposed to alternative ones.

Whenever possible integrating feedback loops into your business strategy promotion fosters continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement. Initiate loops early to encourage open communication, and a collaborative environment to continuously refine the strategy model. This is a true and tested mechanism to address concerns and adapt to change, in a dynamic way. Regular check-ins and transparent communication ensure that stakeholders remain actively involved. (Make sure to harvest their feedback for DDDM!) This iterative approach builds trust, a collaboration culture and shared responsibility, which in turn contributes to the long-term success of the business strategy.

Here is my perspective on the topic 1. Have a Vision 2. First Bilieve in your own vision 3. Communicate your vision 4. Seek inputs from stake holders 5. Incorporate what's valid 6. Align individual goals to organisational goals 7. Define a simple achievable action plan. 8. Seek inputs from stake holders 9. Refine the Plan of Action 10. Share potential outcomes 11. Share potential pitfalls or possible points of failure 12. Have a correctional plan. 13. Finally be ready to share credit with everyone and take responsibility personally.

Tell the truth and be authentic. People will follow integrity like never before. Of course this assumes the strategy actually adds value.

Communicate the strategy clearly, align it with organizational goals, actively involve key stakeholders, address concerns transparently, and emphasize the benefits for all parties involved to foster consensus.