Great Strategy Requires Vetting

Make sure you know what strategy is before reading this post. I wrote about it here.

As business leaders, we all want to be good at laying out a right strategy that helps us grow our companies. But if you are developing strategies on your own, then you are possibly not getting the most out of your plans. Strategies are really just 'guesses at where the future is headed,' and that is an easy thing to get wrong. I remember when I ran our companies by myself. There was no vetting at all. I just did what I wanted, or failed to do what I didn't know I should be doing. Either way, my strategies were right sometimes and failed other times. But I really never knew why.

There is a better way to develop great strategies, and it involves other trusted people who are allowed to vet what you are planning to do. But maybe you don't like other people vetting your strategies? I didn't for a long time. It's offensive and time consuming when others challenge or question what you think is right. I realize now that is an immature view of running a business. Mature leaders invite challenge and the vetting of their strategic plans. Great strategy requires vetting. But the success is in who you allow to vet your strategies.

Business Coaching. Some don't understand coaching, but a skilled coach can truly be a life-changing asset in vetting strategies of creative service based businesses. A skilled coach can help your strategies feel more enjoyable, easier to implement, and certainly more effective. You just have to trust someone to pull your precious ideas apart.

Partner Meetings. Business partners have a great asset in the partner group to vet their ideas. But, sadly, this resource is not often used or leveraged to it's greatest potential. There is no vetting happening when each partner is in their own office performing work 7 days a week. Creating regular weekly times for partner meetings allows for discussions of high level vision and how to execute that vision.

Community Membership. Joining a trusted community of people who are on the same journey as you can help you vet your strategy, too. Community members are on their own journey, so the vetting isn't as deep as the above two methods; but it can still be an inexpensive way to have others vet your ideas about the future. I lead a community called the Thriveal Network for entrepreneurial CPA firm owners. It exists for this purpose.

Do you think you need help with coaching and planning your partner meetings to develop greater strategies? We do that! Reach out to us at info [at] blumercpas [dot] com and we can talk about what you need.