Recently I started writing a column for Success Magazine, at a blog called SMB Success Strategies.
My most recent article posted there is called “Can You Describe Your Business Strategy in Two Words?” It’s based upon something I heard not long ago in a speech given by Gary Harpst, the founder of Solomon Software (now part of Microsoft) and Six Disciplines.
Gary spoke about the value of being able to describe a strategy in just two words. He also wrote about it in his book, “Six Disciplines for Excellence.”
He wasn’t suggesting that a mere two words be the entire strategy of the company — obviously more is needed to flesh out complete strategies and goals.
His point was that you needed to be able to distill your strategy down into two words for the purpose of organizational focus and alignment. The process of getting down to two words forces you to understand what’s fundamental to your business and its competitive advantage. It also helps you communicate what’s most important so employees can stay on track.
In the article I provide examples Gary gives of well-known companies with “two-word strategy” statements.
Check out the SMB Success Strategies blog at Success Magazine. Have a look around at all the Success Magazine blogs there, too (RSS feed).
