"My advice? Try not to make anyone say the quiet part out loud again.” Love it. Surely apocryphal that a mid-career exec would be quite so blunt but it's a beautifully told story and would explain a lot :)
I resonate completely with the strategy travel agent role!
The current gig has me helping senior leaders understand innovation and complex problem-solving. Of course, this requires some sort of strategy. An SVP told me to not bother looking very hard for such strategy, it’s pretty much locked up in the executive team’s heads.
I’ve learned we don’t have to start with the executive team when working on strategy. To paraphrase Deming, “ Start with the willing.” I’ve been helping any leader who raises their hand to create a more clear and compelling (often visual) strategy. When they realize strategy in complex systems is a collective function, they seem relieved, and often become “true believers.”😉
"My advice? Try not to make anyone say the quiet part out loud again.” Love it. Surely apocryphal that a mid-career exec would be quite so blunt but it's a beautifully told story and would explain a lot :)
I resonate completely with the strategy travel agent role!
The current gig has me helping senior leaders understand innovation and complex problem-solving. Of course, this requires some sort of strategy. An SVP told me to not bother looking very hard for such strategy, it’s pretty much locked up in the executive team’s heads.
I’ve learned we don’t have to start with the executive team when working on strategy. To paraphrase Deming, “ Start with the willing.” I’ve been helping any leader who raises their hand to create a more clear and compelling (often visual) strategy. When they realize strategy in complex systems is a collective function, they seem relieved, and often become “true believers.”😉
👏