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By Phil Eastman
The next four months in the Leadership Advisor, we are going to be talking about strategy. That is because we are nearing publication of Dimensional Strategy™: A Leader's Guide to Crafting and Executing a Strategic Plan. Dimensional Strategy™ focuses on one of the most important roles of a leader: setting and implementing a strategy for the organization. As you know, there are numerous strategic planning approaches, so you may wonder what makes Dimensional Strategy™ different. The answer is that it is focused on the leadership aspects of strategy. That means it is written with the leader's perspective in mind, to allow you to either create your first strategic plan or assess the strength of your existing plan and planning system.
We built Dimensional Strategy™ because the idea of strategic planning is facing unprecedented challenges in today's fast-changing world. Some perceive strategic planning as being ineffective or even obsolete in today's world of dynamic markets, globalization, technological innovation, industry deregulation, shorter market and product life cycle, and competitors entering the market faster than ever. But the truth is that organizations, more than ever, need superior strategies that will move them ahead of their rivals and guide them toward future success. Strategic planning is a process whereby organizations activate a set of procedures to create value in meeting the needs of their chosen customers or markets through a series of unique, integrated activities.
In creating a strategic advantage, every organization, regardless of its type or industry, faces navigating significant internal and external complexities. These complexities or dimensions provide the backdrop against which a successful strategy is constructed. Navigation of the leadership, operating, environmental, mechanical, and human dimensions, while steering through time (movement) represents a significant ongoing leadership challenge.
The required dimensional navigation is rendering obsolete the strategic planning that is simple, orderly, and rational. Dimensional Strategy™ is a framework that meets the challenges in today's strategic planning tasks.
Dimensional Strategy™ allows you to navigate your organization's complexity to create a strategic plan that is unifying, compelling, and achievable.
The Dimensional Strategy™ framework largely explains the significance of strategic planning activities across different organizational levels in achieving the organization's strategic objectives, and synthesizes the interrelatedness of activities that are often treated separately in traditional planning approaches. This multi-dimensional approach is advantageous in understanding the complex interaction between organizational strategy, its external environment, and internal resources and activities. This framework is the result of years of experience as well as extensive research. As Leonardo Da Vinci once stated, "Practice should always be based upon a sound knowledge of theory." By following the Dimensional Strategy™ framework, users will understand what matters in strategic planning and how to develop a plan that works.
We take a multi-dimensional approach to the strategic planning process because we believe that a set of organizational capabilities leading to organizational effectiveness is likely to depend on a host of organizational, strategic, and environmental characteristics. There are three unique advantages to the Dimensional Strategy™ framework:
1. It accentuates the role of leaders.
2. It is systematic.
3. It is adaptable.
The Dimensional Strategy™ framework is a holistic approach that leads to more sustainable and long-term organizational performance. Each of the dimensions is critical to the competitive advantage and sustainability of the proposed strategy.
So, I have two questions for you:
- Do you have a strategic plan that is clear, compelling, and broadly understood across your organization?
- Do you have a strategic planning system that you lead to keep your strategic plan current and relevant?
If you answer no to either of these questions, I invite you to check out Dimensional Strategy™. You can do that by requesting a copy of the Dimensional Strategy™ Overview. To request your complimentary copy of the Dimensional Strategy™ Overview, you can scan the QR code below or  send a note to Avery.
"Practice should always be based upon a
sound knowledge of therory."
~ Leonardo Da Vinci
Phil Eastman is the founder and president of Leadership Advisors Group, a Boise-based consulting firm. Phil combines more than 25-years of leadership experience with his passion for consulting, coaching, and teaching to develop leaders, build teams, and improve performance. It is his desire to enhance leadership effectiveness for all of his clientele.
Phil earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Organization from Idaho State University. He is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, where he is also an instructor. Phil also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary.
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