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- Issue 7 > Strategy: getting from here to there.
Strategy: getting from here to there.
Susanne Biro explains how it begins with 'know where you want to get to, and why you believe it matters'.
I once read that Mrs Fields of Mrs Fields Cookies, when asked about how she had achieved her success in business, responded with: 'People like to eat cookies and I like to bake them—that was my business plan.'
What I love about her response is that it was so wonderfully simple, simple enough to actually work! I find that adults often complicate things more than is necessary, or even helpful. Indeed, there is brilliance in simplicity; the ability to communicate an idea such that a five year old can understand it—now, that is inspiring!
The way I see it, strategic planning comes down to clarity of purpose. Being able to answer the simple, yet big, life questions: Why am I here? What do I really believe in? Why am I doing what I am doing? And then, why are we doing what we are doing—for the sake of what?
To achieve such clarity, each of us must begin within. When a person has a clear personal vision, it is at that moment that they become a leader in the real sense of the word. With a purpose, decisions are easy to make because we know in what direction we are headed. We know when to say no, which is perhaps even more important than knowing when to say yes.
As Lionel Poilane of Poilane Bakeries said, 'It's important in business to be able to say no when you feel like saying yes would mean losing your soul.' We become focused and begin to direct all our time, energy and attention toward a single cause. We are like a laser beam; we have the same energy of a regular bulb, but because every watt is concentrated in one direction, it can penetrate what previously were thought to be solid barriers.
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Questions? Fyi… the 'who, what, why, how?' etcetera.
Notes. Propaganda, feedback, queries, etcetera.
Twitter, and us. How we use it.
Psychological secrets of successful start-ups. Andy Sernovitz.
Why attraction is a mistake in marketing. Mark Silver.
Five key skills for raising your emotional intelligence. Jeanne Segal.
Does your marketing match your image? Patricia Fripp.
'Are we clear?' Michael Angier.
How to develop a brand using storytelling techniques. Richard Fouts.
Coping with criticism. Marilyn Lesmeister.
Stories that shake the world. Seth Godin.
The five faces of Twitter. Justin Kownacki.
Are you managing your time? Jeffrey Zbar.