Crafting a Comprehensive Corporate Strategy Report
We’re tasked with creating a 135-150 page strategic report for a mid-to-large sized company with a peak revenue of $30 million. This report will take a holistic view, going beyond the typical business unit or functional level strategies.
A key focus will be on assessing all subsidiaries and their strategic interconnections to facilitate a corporate restructuring. This restructuring will touch upon accounting, taxation, finance, and governance.
Given the company’s 20-year history, understanding its past and the driving forces behind its current capabilities is crucial. Without this deep understanding, any recommendations we make risk being inaccurate or irrelevant.
Challenges and Considerations:
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- Organizational complexity: The company’s size and history make it challenging to obtain a comprehensive view. What’s clear at a departmental level might not be evident at the CEO level, and vice versa.
- Failed past attempts: Previous strategy consultants have encountered roadblocks. It’s essential to understand why these attempts failed, considering factors beyond the consultants’ capabilities.
- Implementation hurdles: Based on our experience with similar companies, we anticipate challenges such as:
- Lack of commitment from leadership and employees.
- Misalignment between strategic approaches and the company’s core beliefs.
- Unrealistic expectations about the pace and scope of change.
- Insufficient decision-making authority for those implementing the strategy.
- Limited resources allocated for restructuring.
Key to Success:
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- Tailored recommendations: Our recommendations must be finely tuned to the company’s specific needs and challenges.
- Clear communication: We’ll adopt a clear and concise approach, ensuring that everyone in the organization understands the report and its implications.
A combination of:
- Coaching and unlearning: Systematically challenging outdated beliefs, old ways of working, and unrealistic expectations through coaching.
- Deep understanding of readiness reports: Preventing a repeat of past mistakes where reports are ignored or misinterpreted.
- Leadership empowerment: Recognizing that leaders have the ultimate decision-making authority. Empowering them by providing them with comprehensive information so they can make informed decisions.
- Informed decision-making: Ensuring leaders have sufficient information and understanding to make independent decisions.
- Stakeholder responsibility: Emphasizing that stakeholders, including shareholders and investors, should be accountable for their investments, aligning with standard corporate governance practices.
Once we have a deep understanding and have signed the agreement, we commit to being ready, willing, and fully resourced to undertake the restructuring.
The success or failure of companies with an average age of 35-46 requires significantly more effort compared to teams in their prime (29-35 years old).
Trust me!