You are a leader, and are well aware that both private and public sector organizations must prioritize long-term thinking. As a result, you can immediately enumerate some of the main reasons. However, there are persistent corporate issues that appear unrelated to long-term planning. Therefore, their sudden presence catches leaders off-guard. Failing to complete a long-term strategic plan can lead to three anticipated but uncommon issues. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...
Mar 05, 2024•7 min
You are someone who is already a long-term thinker, working in a for-profit company. Unlike many, you don’t need to be convinced about the importance of long-term thinking. Somewhere early in the past - childhood, early career - you embedded the idea in your thinking. Now balancing short and long term thinking is a part of your character. But this may be why you are confused. Others around you don’t share this trait. In fact, you feel like a fish out of water - always harping on the need for lon...
Feb 21, 2024•18 min
Similar to most companies, your firm also has a vision or purpose statement. The initial idea was meant to ignite inspiration, but lately, it seems to have lost its allure. What interventions can you implement to foster a collaborative environment and encourage your staff to go above and beyond? And how does this statement support the goals outlined in your corporate strategy? Read this and other articles at https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...
Feb 18, 2024•7 min
Navigating professional challenges can feel daunting when your usual methods of coping fail. Friction with colleagues, performance setbacks, economic pressures - these issues can linger and even permeate teams. In times of turbulence, a fresh perspective is needed to build resilience. But where can you start? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Feb 04, 2024•6 min
As a high achiever, you likely gauge success by the scope of your accomplishments. Your career advancement, financial security, family growth or other goals are realized through diligent work and conscious effort. When you attain those tangible targets after years of strain and sacrifice, it validates your talents and grit. Or so it seems initially. But in time, you may come to a sobering realization – hitting each milestone does not equate to an enduring sense of happiness or contentment. This ...
Jan 21, 2024•7 min
As a Founder/CEO, maximizing stakeholder engagement is crucial for your company’s success. Some stakeholders enthusiastically support the organization, yet you occasionally notice significant discrepancies among motivated individuals. Why? Their departments may inadvertently work against each other due to differing managerial perspectives regarding the future. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.su...
Jan 07, 2024•5 min
Have you ever left a strategic planning retreat feeling invigorated, only to find that the excitement fizzles out? Despite the initial enthusiasm and belief in the positive change that was about to ensue, weeks later, the essence of those profound discussions becomes a distant memory. The baffling reality is this: a gathering of bright, dedicated individuals, all ardently striving to make a meaningful difference, encountered an unexpected descent post-retreat. The perplexity of this decline seem...
Dec 24, 2023•6 min
The transition from manager to CEO often proves to be an intricate journey, one that presents unique challenges to those stepping into this elevated role. Managers, typically adept at producing short-term results, find their focus honed on meeting quarterly or yearly targets. However, a distinct realization dawns upon some top-tier executives – a profound responsibility transcending immediate successes. This newfound responsibility calls for the articulation of a vision. But it can’t be a hollow...
Dec 10, 2023•7 min
Ensuring your plan possesses a genuine strategy is crucial, yet sometimes, strategic plans lack strategic essence. Here’s why this happens and how to prevent it. Imagine joining a new management team and attempting to grasp the existing strategic plan. You ask for documentation due to the confusing explanations from your new colleagues. However, reviewing the outputs from the last planning project doesn’t provide the clarity you seek. Instead, it overwhelms with numerous words and diagrams, leav...
Nov 26, 2023•6 min
In every organisation, there are employees whose primary motivation is simply trading their time for a paycheck. Unfortunately, these individuals contribute to creating a negative and toxic work environment that is detrimental to the leadership team. Negativity takes over the corporate culture. Is there a way to tap into greater motivation among your staff? As a C-Suite executive or board member, can you do more to provide your employees with a chance to discover meaning in their work? <more&...
Nov 12, 2023•7 min
You are someone who is aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced in 2015 by the United Nations. Their value is not in question - they are objectives the entire world hopes to realize. But recently, Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared that the SDGs are on the path to failure. Launching a special edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress report, he warned that their collective promise made in 2015 of a more green, just and equitable global future, is...
Oct 30, 2023•3 min
Many companies lack a formal product development unit. Instead, ideas are casually pitched to the CEO, and the next steps depend on their mood at the moment. This approach often falls short in delivering consistent innovation, resulting in products and services that closely resemble competitors’ offerings. If you’re a monopoly, your products might become stale over time. To stand out, you need innovative ideas that provide real value to your customers. The challenge? You may not have the resourc...
Oct 30, 2023•6 min
As a dedicated board member, you actively contribute to meetings and aim to make a meaningful impact. However, there are moments when you find yourself quietly frustrated, wondering if the discussion has veered into the minutiae, and then even further into micro-details. Why does this happen? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Oct 15, 2023•5 min
In the past, the business world held a strong emphasis on keeping promises. Unfortunately, today, it seems that commitments are easily broken at the slightest inconvenience. Many of us have witnessed this trend, even though there are occasional benefits when someone lets us off the hook. However, there’s a valid reason for concern. A corporate culture where trust in one’s word is waning can spell doom for the bottom line. <More> This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ...
Oct 02, 2023•7 min
In the past, the business world held a strong emphasis on keeping promises. Unfortunately, today, it seems that commitments are easily broken at the slightest inconvenience. Many of us have witnessed this trend, even though there are occasional benefits when someone lets us off the hook. However, there’s a valid reason for concern. A corporate culture where trust in one’s word is waning can spell doom for the bottom line. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscri...
Sep 17, 2023•7 min
In the ever-evolving landscape of business, some voices argue that the concept of strategy is becoming obsolete, overshadowed by the rapid pace of change. Yet, beneath this assertion lies a reluctance to engage in deep, thoughtful planning—a sentiment that betrays a certain intellectual inertia. How can we reshape this perspective, sparking a transformation in those who seem trapped within it? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus e...
Sep 05, 2023•7 min
You are a Caribbean HR Professional who has noticed the respect finance professionals receive in the C-Suite. What they say seems to matter. As a result, your colleagues in the finance department can see a clear path for themselves to the C-Suite. From accounting analyst, to manager, to director, to CFO, to CEO/MD. But the same isn’t true for you. In fact, the total number of HR managers to gain a promotion to the CEO level in anything other than a small company is negligible. (see blog.fwconsul...
Aug 21, 2023•8 min
You have heard of CSRD (the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), at least in passing. As a new reporting requirement, it calls for your company to submit annual non-financial information, starting in just a few years’ time. As someone who cares about long-term environmental and social impacts, you like where this is going. But you are concerned that it will turn into a bureaucratic slog, in which laudable goals are lost in a tsunami of reporting requirements. Far from inspiring staff t...
Aug 08, 2023•25 min
The world is changing fast, and “winning” in business may already be a fool's errand. You are a company leader who has risen through the ranks. You enjoy the competitive side of running an organization. Why? There are obvious winners and losers defined by a P&L scorecard. Plus, you have tactics and strategies to choose from. And finally, you can see a clear correlation between your efforts and results. But what if the changes taking place in the world are making a mockery of the race you are...
Aug 06, 2023•7 min
You have heard of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive or its acronym, CSRD. You know that it has something to do with the EU which means that you haven’t paid it much attention. It’s far away. However, this could be a mistake. This new standard for disclosure reaches into some unlikely places for all companies who do business with the continent. In this article, we’ll look at the impact on your corporate strategy. You can find prior articles at https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is ...
Jul 24, 2023•7 min
Your business offers a product or service. Regardless of how well your offer sells, you wonder whether or not you are leaving money on the table. In other words, are you charging the best price possible? This question is often left to opinions, chance, or comparisons with competitors. These choices unfortunately indicate the lack of a defined philosophy. Alex Hormozi’s book, $100m Offers, provides a simple way to think about the challenge of setting prices. If you have a sense that your company ...
Jul 09, 2023•7 min
Your company has once again begun to look to the future. It’s shaken off the post-COVID blues and must now position itself in its industry with a fresh strategy. But all of your executives are not convinced that hard choices must be made. How can you persuade them? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 25, 2023•7 min
As a leader, you need to provide your organisation with a clear path for the future. But you also hate changing direction in mid-stream. Some say you shouldn’t bother to make any long-term plans in the first place, but is that the best solution? It pains you to think of spending a lot of time and money to create extended plans which require updates when there is a disruption. Why? You know staff can feel disempowered when a rethink is needed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss th...
Jun 11, 2023•7 min
Your company is dealing with a significant challenge. Due to the complexity of the issue, it's hard to determine the right path forward. This is an intellectual puzzle that needs the attention of analytic minds. But is finding the optimal answer your only concern? After all, the management team has had implementation problems in the past. As such, you sense that the "soft side" warrants some consideration to succeed by the end. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other s...
May 28, 2023•7 min
“Francis”, clients sometimes ask, “Why do you recommend a two-day strategy retreat?” Usually, they want to get the most from their workshop, but also don’t wish to waste a moment. After all, top executive time is quite expensive. Assuming that your company has agreed to such a workshop, what’s the difference between one, two, or more days? Catch up on all past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to ...
May 14, 2023•7 min
You don’t normally think for long about the lasting impact your actions have on unknown business colleagues. This is particularly true if they haven’t even been born. But is there a reason to consider far-future generations of leadership in your company? See past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 30, 2023•7 min
You finally have time to look back at outputs from prior strategic planning retreats. A quick glance reveals an approach they used which includes “pillars”. If so, be aware: there are some drawbacks to this technique that could lead to a weak plan. Check out past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 16, 2023•7 min
You agree with the general concept of having new products and services to offer your customers. After all, a company that relies on stale stuff is likely to fail. But how do you put together an effective R&D plan when budgets are limited? For past columns see https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 02, 2023•7 min
Have some people in your company become reaction-machines? In other words, do they run around all day responding to the latest crisis? Deep down, you know they are inefficient, but what can you do to shift to a culture in which the future is created rather than feared? For past columns, see blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Mar 19, 2023•6 min
We all know what it’s like to be inspired by a vision of the future. It feels good, as if we are responding to a higher purpose. But why do corporate visions fall often flat? For other articles see https://blog.fwconsulting.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe...
Mar 05, 2023•6 min
