What do you do if your strategic decisions are putting your organization at risk?
When you realize that your strategic decisions are jeopardizing your organization, it's a moment of truth. You're responsible for steering the ship, and now it's heading toward rocky shores. The pressure mounts, but it's crucial to stay calm and act decisively. This is the time to step back, assess the situation, and make the tough calls that can save your organization from potential disaster. Let's explore the steps you can take to mitigate risks and realign your strategy for the safety and success of your enterprise.
The first step is to conduct a thorough assessment of the damage your strategic decisions have caused. This involves a critical analysis of all aspects of your organization's operations that have been impacted. You need to identify the areas where your strategy has fallen short and understand the extent of the risks involved. This will likely involve gathering input from various departments and teams to get a comprehensive view of the situation. Once you have a clear picture of the damage, you can begin to develop a plan to address the issues and mitigate further risks.
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Josbertini Clementino
Especialista em Relações Governamentais | Relações Institucionais | Políticas Públicas | Assuntos Governamentais | Mentor | Gestão de Projetos | Gestão Executiva | Terceiro Setor | Membro Open Mind Brazil
Compare os resultados obtidos com os objetivos estratégicos inicialmente definidos para identificar as áreas de discrepância. Crie estratégias detalhadas e acionáveis para alcançar os novos objetivos, com foco em áreas como aprimoramento da comunicação, gestão de riscos, tomada de decisão e alocação de recursos.
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Reda Shousha, MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FPAC
Strategic Finance Director | AFP MEA FP&A Advisory Council Member | Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Solutions | Strategic Finance | Fund Raising | Navigate Digital Transformation |Automotive | Transportation | FMCG
Assessing the potential damage requires examining several factors. If my strategic decisions lead to lost revenue or market share, the organization's financial health and competitive edge could be significantly impacted. Additionally, operational disruptions, regulatory issues, or declining employee morale could further exacerbate the problems. The severity of the damage depends on the likelihood of these consequences occurring.
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Edvin Kornelius - BSA
Corporate Strategy Advisor
Companies can sometimes make strategic decisions that don't pan out due to misconceptions and biases. One example is a large acquisition that fails to integrate, resulting in significant losses. When this happens, swift action is necessary. The board of directors and executive team should assess the damage, understand the situation, and review the integration and development strategy to make necessary adjustments. By doing so, they can set their company back on the path to success.
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Svyatoslav Biryulin
Helping leaders sharpen strategic thinking | Craft a winning strategy with my VEM concept. Strategy consultant and board member. I help startups and mature companies make better strategic decisions.
Above all, we must remind ourselves that any strategic decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty, which carries risks. The only way to avoid risks is not to make decisions, although not making decisions carries risks. If a strategic decision turns out to be wrong, you are in good company - no business that has been in operation for more than five years has avoided strategic mistakes. Recognising the mistake and accepting it as part of the job, as a signal from the outside world that we were doing something wrong, equips us with the information we need to correct the mistakes.
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Russell Motha
Ai & CX @Kr8ive Innovations Labs | Tykans Group Inc. | MBA,
This involves working with the risk team and legal team at the very beginning to start with; it will give different vantage points to the problem and work on strategies to mitigate and handle possible outcomes. Compliance and audit is another team that needs to be involved in this process to make sure to validate the actions and plans. For larget enterprises its also advisable to involve the marketing communications team to handle any public opininons together with medias and brand ambassodors
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Joey Lin CA CFA ACMA
Commercial CFO | M&A | Transformation | Top Linkedin Voice |
Decisions, decisions! Whether it's picking the right sandwich for lunch or making a strategic move, the potential for damage is always lurking around the corner – blame it on the market shifts, regulations, or even a surprise visit from Mother Nature! But fear not, assessing the fallout is like playing detective, uncovering the losses and plotting our next move to dodge disaster. After all, who said risk management couldn't have a dash of drama?
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Shoaib S.
Customer Experience | Team strategy | Passionate about Redefining Support Experiences | Crypto ₿ | I specialize in elevating support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences
Conduct a thorough assessment of the current situation to understand the extent of the risk and its potential impact on the organization. Identify any immediate threats or vulnerabilities resulting from the strategic decisions.
Once you've assessed the damage, it's important to consult with your team. Bring together key players from different departments to discuss the situation openly and honestly. This is not about assigning blame but rather about understanding different perspectives on what went wrong and why. Your team's insights can be invaluable in identifying the root causes of the strategic missteps and in brainstorming potential solutions. Encourage open dialogue and foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.
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Josbertini Clementino
Especialista em Relações Governamentais | Relações Institucionais | Políticas Públicas | Assuntos Governamentais | Mentor | Gestão de Projetos | Gestão Executiva | Terceiro Setor | Membro Open Mind Brazil
A comunicação transparente e aberta com todos os stakeholders é essencial para construir confiança e consenso. A revisão e o ajuste da estratégia original são necessários para se adaptar às novas realidades e alcançar objetivos de forma eficaz.
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Reda Shousha, MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FPAC
Strategic Finance Director | AFP MEA FP&A Advisory Council Member | Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Solutions | Strategic Finance | Fund Raising | Navigate Digital Transformation |Automotive | Transportation | FMCG
Convening your team is a crucial step. Schedule a meeting with key stakeholders involved in the strategic decisions and their execution. Be transparent about your concerns regarding potential risks. Frame the discussion around gathering their insights on both the potential consequences and how to mitigate them. Their firsthand experience and diverse perspectives can be invaluable in uncovering blind spots and crafting effective solutions.
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Svyatoslav Biryulin
Helping leaders sharpen strategic thinking | Craft a winning strategy with my VEM concept. Strategy consultant and board member. I help startups and mature companies make better strategic decisions.
Whoever made the wrong decision, corrective action should be taken collectively. The more people involved in discussions about future decisions, the lower the risk that important points will be missed. Discuss the wrong decision with the team, not from a blame-finding perspective, but from the perspective of constructively analysing the mistakes made and looking for opportunities to make reasonable adjustments.
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Joey Lin CA CFA ACMA
Commercial CFO | M&A | Transformation | Top Linkedin Voice |
The vibe in these discussions should be all about openness and embracing a learning mindset (refer to the great book by Carol Dweck). Think of them as our very own classroom sessions, where every meeting and subsequent action is a chance for the team and the business to level up and stride confidently into the future, armed with invaluable lessons learned along the way.
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Shoaib S.
Customer Experience | Team strategy | Passionate about Redefining Support Experiences | Crypto ₿ | I specialize in elevating support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences
Engage with key stakeholders, including senior leadership, department heads, and relevant team members, to gather diverse perspectives and insights. Collaborative decision-making can help generate innovative solutions and consensus on the best course of action.
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Russell Motha
Ai & CX @Kr8ive Innovations Labs | Tykans Group Inc. | MBA,
Many strategies have very minimal impact on the organizational operation. They only give outcomes over periods; when considering the consulting team, it's essential to consider possible changes to external opportunities and threats outside the organizational control. Which also involves new legislation and policies that might affect the industry in the near to long term. Hence, the team should comprise individuals with the capabilities to look into those angles
After consulting with your team, revisit your organization's goals to ensure they are still relevant and achievable. It's possible that your strategic decisions were off-track because your goals were not clearly defined or were unrealistic given the current market conditions. Re-evaluate your objectives and consider setting new, more attainable goals if necessary. This process should involve a realistic assessment of your organization's resources, market position, and competitive landscape to ensure that your revised goals are both challenging and achievable.
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Josbertini Clementino
Especialista em Relações Governamentais | Relações Institucionais | Políticas Públicas | Assuntos Governamentais | Mentor | Gestão de Projetos | Gestão Executiva | Terceiro Setor | Membro Open Mind Brazil
Revisar as metas da organização é um processo contínuo que deve ser realizado periodicamente para garantir que elas permaneçam relevantes, alcançáveis e alinhadas com a estratégia geral da organização. O envolvimento da equipe e a comunicação transparente são essenciais para garantir o buy-in e o compromisso de todos com as metas revisadas.
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Reda Shousha, MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FPAC
Strategic Finance Director | AFP MEA FP&A Advisory Council Member | Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Solutions | Strategic Finance | Fund Raising | Navigate Digital Transformation |Automotive | Transportation | FMCG
Take a step back and revisit your original goals. Are these strategic decisions still aligned with what you set out to achieve? If not, it might be time to refine the strategy or even consider setting new goals altogether.
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Svyatoslav Biryulin
Helping leaders sharpen strategic thinking | Craft a winning strategy with my VEM concept. Strategy consultant and board member. I help startups and mature companies make better strategic decisions.
It is very important to remember that a goal is not a vow, a promise, or a point in the future that the organisation must arrive at. A goal is an imagined future state of the business based on our belief that it can be achieved (even if we have analysed a lot of data before setting it). Revising goals that have lost relevance is a normal process, all organisations do it, even if they don't admit it publicly.
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Joey Lin CA CFA ACMA
Commercial CFO | M&A | Transformation | Top Linkedin Voice |
The goal might not be the culprit here – sometimes it's the strategic plan that didn't anticipate those sneaky unintended consequences or unexpected plot twists. Maybe the goal itself is still golden; it's just the roadmap that needs a bit of a tweak. So before we toss out the goal like last week's leftovers, let's give the approach a once-over and see if a little strategic detour might do the trick.
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Shoaib S.
Customer Experience | Team strategy | Passionate about Redefining Support Experiences | Crypto ₿ | I specialize in elevating support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences
Reevaluate the organization's goals, priorities, and strategic objectives in light of the identified risks. Ensure alignment between strategic decisions and the overarching mission and vision of the organization.
With a clear understanding of the issues and revised goals in place, it's time to adjust your strategy. This involves making changes to your plan that will address the identified problems and align with your new objectives. It may be necessary to shift focus, allocate resources differently, or even abandon certain initiatives that are no longer viable. The key is to be flexible and willing to make significant changes to your approach. Remember, the goal is to put your organization back on a path to success, even if it means taking a few steps back to move forward.
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Murat Y.
Never hesitate adjusting… You can be great decision maker and accomplished leader with a truck record but market changes daily.
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Josbertini Clementino
Especialista em Relações Governamentais | Relações Institucionais | Políticas Públicas | Assuntos Governamentais | Mentor | Gestão de Projetos | Gestão Executiva | Terceiro Setor | Membro Open Mind Brazil
Ajustar a estratégia é um processo contínuo que deve ser realizado periodicamente para garantir que a organização esteja sempre alinhada com as mudanças no ambiente e com as necessidades do mercado. A comunicação aberta, o engajamento da equipe e a flexibilidade são essenciais para o sucesso do processo de ajuste estratégico.
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Svyatoslav Biryulin
Helping leaders sharpen strategic thinking | Craft a winning strategy with my VEM concept. Strategy consultant and board member. I help startups and mature companies make better strategic decisions.
A strategy is a set of hypotheses based on our belief in our ability to change the world to our advantage. If the hypotheses are not confirmed, that's fine. Therefore, adjusting strategy is as routine a process as operational planning.
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Reda Shousha, MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FPAC
Strategic Finance Director | AFP MEA FP&A Advisory Council Member | Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Solutions | Strategic Finance | Fund Raising | Navigate Digital Transformation |Automotive | Transportation | FMCG
Based on risk assessment and team discussions, you may consider tweaking strategy. This could involve scaling back resource allocation, revising targets, or implementing contingency plans. The goal is to find adjustments that mitigate risk while keeping you on track towards your goals.
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Francisco Torreblanca
Especialista en transformación creativa. Premio Nacional Mejor Marca Personal 2023. Profesor ESIC 🇪🇸 🇨🇴. Blogger en franciscotorreblanca.es. Co-autor libros ‘7 Pecados Laterales’ y Egology. Podcast: 'Marketing Talks'
Adjusting strategy enables organizations to make informed strategic decisions that mitigate risks effectively. By continually evaluating market conditions, competition, and internal capabilities, organizations can proactively adapt their strategies to changing environments. This flexibility not only enhances resilience but also allows for timely responses to emerging threats, ultimately safeguarding the organization against potential risks.
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Edvin Kornelius - BSA
Corporate Strategy Advisor
Adjusting business strategies can be a daunting task, but it's crucial for maintaining a competitive position. Department heads should re-assess performance data to determine possible trade-offs and explore the impact on people, processes, and technology. Developing a consensus on the plan that best suits the organization is key. It's important to keep in mind the resources available when making adjustments to your business strategy. Considering what you can realistically accomplish with the resources currently available, as well as any additional resources you may need, is crucial. Perhaps, it's worth making additional investments in employee training programs to teach them how to use technology.
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Shoaib S.
Customer Experience | Team strategy | Passionate about Redefining Support Experiences | Crypto ₿ | I specialize in elevating support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences
Based on the assessment and consultation with the team, make necessary adjustments to the strategic approach. Identify alternative strategies or course corrections that mitigate risk and align more effectively with organizational objectives.
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Kapil Lehar
Solving business problems through analytics & synthesis | Data & Strategy Consultant | PMP | 2X HBS Certified | BI Architect
Strategy cannot be build in the rock. Some concepts remain fundamental while a lot of them change with time and requirements. Adjusting strategy is changing the plan based on what the current situation is demanding.
After adjusting your strategy, you must implement the changes effectively. This means communicating the new plan clearly to all stakeholders and ensuring that everyone understands their role in executing it. You may need to provide additional training or resources to support the transition. It's crucial to monitor the implementation closely and be prepared to make further adjustments as needed. Successful implementation requires commitment and coordination across the entire organization.
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Josbertini Clementino
Especialista em Relações Governamentais | Relações Institucionais | Políticas Públicas | Assuntos Governamentais | Mentor | Gestão de Projetos | Gestão Executiva | Terceiro Setor | Membro Open Mind Brazil
O engajamento da equipe, o monitoramento de perto e a flexibilidade para fazer ajustes são essenciais para o sucesso da implementação. Ao liderar com clareza, comunicação aberta e apoio à equipe, as organizações podem transformar suas estratégias em ações e alcançar seus objetivos de forma eficaz.
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Reda Shousha, MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FPAC
Strategic Finance Director | AFP MEA FP&A Advisory Council Member | Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Solutions | Strategic Finance | Fund Raising | Navigate Digital Transformation |Automotive | Transportation | FMCG
With a clear understanding of the risks and your team's input, it's time to implement changes. Communicate the adjustments effectively to all impacted departments. Develop a timeline for rollout and provide training or resources if needed to ensure a smooth transition. Monitor progress closely and be prepared to make further adjustments as needed.
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Shoaib S.
Customer Experience | Team strategy | Passionate about Redefining Support Experiences | Crypto ₿ | I specialize in elevating support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences
Act swiftly to implement changes to the strategic plan or operational processes to address identified risks. Clearly communicate changes to relevant stakeholders and ensure buy-in and support for the revised approach.
Finally, monitoring progress is essential to ensure that your new strategic decisions are having the desired effect and not introducing new risks. Set up a system for tracking key performance indicators that are aligned with your revised goals. Regularly review these metrics to gauge whether you're on track or if further adjustments are needed. It's important to remain vigilant and responsive to changes in the internal and external environment that could impact your strategy. Continuous monitoring allows for timely interventions that can keep your organization moving in the right direction.
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Shoaib S.
Customer Experience | Team strategy | Passionate about Redefining Support Experiences | Crypto ₿ | I specialize in elevating support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences
Continuously monitor the implementation of changes and their impact on organizational performance. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and milestones to track progress and identify any emerging risks or issues.
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Adrian Alvarez
Managing Partner at Midas Consulting |🤖 Wargaming and Market Entry Specialist | 📊Helping Companies Grow | 🧬 Optimizer |📩 adrian_alvarez@midasconsulting.com.ar
I believe the first step is actually avoid this altogether by betting small to see which hypothesis is true. Consider every assumption as a hypothesis and invest heavily only once the assumption/hypothesis is proven. Another key here is to think about an exit strategy before investing (e.g. if this goes wrong: Can we sell the investment we did? If, so to whom? What other uses can this investment have?)
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Edvin Kornelius - BSA
Corporate Strategy Advisor
Errors in strategic decision making can arise from cognitive biases that are inherent in all of us. These biases distort the way we collect and process information, leading to errors in judgment. In organizational settings, these biases can be amplified by interactions that are colored by self-interest, leading employees to perpetrate both conscious and unconscious deceptions. It's important to be aware of these biases and take steps to mitigate their impact on strategic decision making.
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