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OPINION
Your plan isn’t strategic
D espite good intentions, one of the most common pitfalls in strategic planning is the lack or absence of growth strategies, let alone being intentional and strategic about them. The hidden, yet telling, signs that your AEC firm’s plan is neither strategic nor growth- driven.
Growth strategies are like part and parcel of a strategic plan in which the ultimate value and impacts are driven by a firm’s ability to both clearly articulate and robustly execute its growth strategies; however, the growth imperatives could also be hazardous to strategy if they do not result in superior profitability and/or ultimately undermine competitive advantage. Deciding on what/where/how to grow requires making choices and trade-offs in competing – to choose what not to do; strategic choices must be fitting enough to achieve growth goals (quantitative and qualitative), and growth initiatives must preserve and reinforce strategic positioning. That said, what are some hidden, yet telling, signs that your firm’s plan is neither strategic nor growth-driven? ■ You have a strategic plan, but “something” is missing. Many CEOs of AEC firms would agree that a growth-driven mindset is a non- negotiable attribute and attitude in defining who should serve on their “first team” to move their companies forward, but not too many top leaders exemplify that same growth mindset
when it comes to crafting and executing their external growth strategies for their firms, resulting in a strategic plan being too internally-focused with senior leaders paying less or no attention to external strategic issues. As such, it is almost always too late – especially for growth-driven leaders and firms – to start developing commercial strategies after operational and/or financial goals are established. The lack or absence of focus on external opportunities often turns out to be a pain point for the CEO (as well as some senior leaders) and keeps them awake at night because their gut feeling is telling them “something” is missing from their current plan – and these feelings are certainly diagnostic due to various external factors including market indicators, competitive landscape, client centricity experience, and/ or stakeholder expectations. Quick tip: if you’ve dabbled in strategic planning before, you may immediately think about undertaking a SWOT
Ying Liu, MBA, LEED AP BD+C
See YING LIU , page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 19, 2024, SPECIAL ISSUE
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