What we talk about when we talk about strategy

To say “strategy” is trite is putting it mildly. But I just launched a “strategy consulting firm” for higher ed, so what do I mean and how can Ad Verum Partners help?

Many university “strategies” are just lists of goals. Often generic goals.

But strategy can’t just be goals. Strategy is goals plus aligned resources.

I shudder every time I see a higher ed “strategic plan” that omits resources. You don’t save resources for the “implementation phase.” If you don’t understand resources, then you don’t have a strategy. Period.

Money is always a resource

You need to know what your goals cost, how much money you have, and what to prioritize when goals exceed money. I almost never see an honest reckoning with budget, at least until after the fact when a CFO is asked to find the funding.

Ad Verum specializes in linking financial modeling to deliberation around strategic goals. We’re experts in modeling, as a means to the larger end of setting goals that can actually be achieved.

People's time and attention are always resources

Where are you asking people to spend time? Here’s where higher ed strategy really diverges from the corporate world – faculty have autonomy to allocate their attention. So, if you expect something to change that then you better have a good theory for why and how. And there's always pressure on staff resources, so you'd better reckon with how those align with your goals.

Ad Verum specializes in inclusive processes that identify where there’s pent-up energy, especially among faculty, and what infrastructure will help to unlock it. It’s about harnessing energy and seeding efforts toward common goals, not pushing tops-down mandates.

One thing about goals: specific and data-informed

Goals have to be right for your context, not some generic institution’s. Sure, almost everyone will have a goal related to AI, but why do you and what will be your particular angle? Good data (nay, insights) on both the external environment and your internal realities is a precondition for crafting goals that account for your unique context and strengths.

Ad Verum challenges your thinking in a constructive, collaborative spirit. All consultants gather input, but we also facilitate true debate amongst your team. We help you ask the right questions and then answer them by unearthing external data and wringing insights from internal data. We create options – options allow you to understand the possibilities and pick the best course for you, not a solution that’s optimal in theory only.

If this experience resonates with you, please be in touch ([email protected]). I'm energized by helping leaders who want to change the course of their institutions for the better, through strategies that actually deliver.