RED THREAD – Holistic Strategy
We began 7 weeks ago, exploring provocative prompts for a new lens to strategy-making:
PURPOSE – What is the fundamental justification for the existence of my [organization’s] work?
CONTEXT – What's happening around me/us that demands creative change?
CHALLENGE – What paradoxical challenges must I/we face to make progress?
BASELINE – Honestly, where am I/we starting?
AMBITION – What seems possible now?
ACTION & EVALUATION - It’s clear to me/us now that I/we want to focus on my/our time and attention on… How are we evaluating as we go?
Last week, we committed to, and by now even initiated, strategic ACTION founded in exploration, discovery, and engagement.
[If you missed any these articles, you can jump right in by reading previous articles with exercises via the hyperlinks for each.]
Now what does this all mean?
Where do you go from here?
Week 7: RED THREAD
I invite you to look over – contemplate – the whole body of discovery findings and ultimately the strategic action that emerged.
Now, look deeper… What is the RED THREAD?
The Red Thread has many cultural stories. For this exercise I reference Greek mythology and the story of Thesus and Minotaur.
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Prompt for RED THREAD
The definition of the RED THREAD comes down to this:
What is the through line or theme that makes sense of all the information from the 6 weeks of prompts?
What is the thing that makes this all make sense?
How does the RED THREAD connect ACTION to PURPOSE?
Going forward:
1. I recognize that this Strategic Thinking Exercise may feel awkward, like it’s not real strategy work. Instead, I challenge you to do this exercise at regular intervals, then evaluate how your actions and the corresponding results are relevant AND purposeful.
The interval timing needs to be more frequent than annually, especially in environments of rapid change.
I know some people who simply journal this complete series of prompts every week. Other organizations practice this approach quarterly.
2. Lean in without expectations. Your strategic action could be monumental or incremental. The key is progress aligned to purpose.
Do me a favor, would you? Reach out to me with what you discovered through this 7-week exercise together. Share what else evolves ongoing? What do you notice? How does your work become more meaningful? How does this approach change your response to uncertainty?
Ultimately, how are you/your team transforming?
I am so curious to hear from you.
Strategically yours,