Combining Strategic Awareness with Purpose-Driven Principles
There is nothing new about the concept of purpose driven businesses and having a strategy. in place to provide you and your team with direction.
However, the challenge with this approach is that it fails to allow for the information loop that naturally occurs between the internal and external demands of a business.
How do you and your staff ‘check-in’ and make sure that the decisions being made on a daily basis fall in line with the purpose and strategy of your business?
The traditional model of command and control is fast becoming outdated. The question is what to replace it with?
I would like to introduce the concept of Integrated Impact Planning
Before I go too far with a solution it would be valuable to look back in history to where the seed of modern day principles were sown.
Some of the most popular management books since the Technological revolution began are:
Out of the Crisis   By W. Edwards Deming: 1982
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices   By Peter Drucker; 1985
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team   By Patrick Lencioni: 2002
Strength Finder 2.0Â Â Â By Tom Rath: 2007
The Great Game of Business: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company   By Jack Stack;  2013)
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown: 2018
If you were to dig into each of these books you would find a shift from a more objective view of performance to more people and purpose driven themes.
The thing about profit versus purpose is they seem so at odds with each other and it feels counter-intuitive to say you can have both.
Conversations about strategy tend to take on a war like theme.
The enemy (competition) needs to be overcome by out-flanking them. Having more powerful guns and people to invade (gain market share) to feed the populace (shareholders).
Coming out of WWII I’m sure it felt natural to associate business with war. It was relatable.
History tells us that the first human conflict was thought to be around 13,000 years in the Sudan.
As societies became less nomadic and the populations settled and grew, so did the need for resources like food, materials, and labour. Technologies were developed so armies could move faster and destroy the enemy quicker in the pursuit of expansion and power.
The ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Persian, Chinese and many more were all based on expansion. They were led by strong and often brutal leaders like Atilla the Hun, Ghengis Khan, Julius Caesar and Hannibal, who all built reputations on their ability to out-smart the opposition with a better strategy.
The need for innovation led to the catapult, the chariot, the long bow, and eventually the use of gun powder forced Generals to reconsider their man-power strategies.
Trade followed the discovery of the ‘new world’ as the western explorers found sources of wealth, like spices, gold and slaves that they could plunder and grow their Empires. Britain, France and Spain dominated the scene coming out of the 11th Century and up to around the time of Napoleon after which Great Britain ‘ruled the waves’.
Fast-forward to 1760, the Industrial Revolution changed the landscape in the development of how we could fight wars on an industrial level. With this also came the decline of cottage and agricultural economies and the increase of commerce as a part of the war machine.
The Technological Revolution
Fast-forward again to 1969 with the invention of the Internet and the Technological Revolution.
In terms of time relativity 1969 to 2024 represents 0.42% of the time since the first recorded battles and 20% of the time since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Now that to me is mind-blowing and it also explains why and how we, as businesses, and society, are challenged with coping with this supersonic rate of advancement.
Also, the pundits suggest the pace of advancement has just started.
My view is, as business owners, we have a choice on which path to take.
We can run scared and cry the sky is falling down or we can embrace this and adapt it to our own values.
Unlike the Generals of ancient times who had to adapt their strategies because of life or death, we don’t have those same pressures and need to think differently.
If we continue to consider business strategies as a War against an enemy, I believe we will become cannon fodder. Not quite the dystopian world of Orwell in the novel 1984, but I’d rather not be a part of that experiment.
It’s going to take a completely different way of communicating, managing commerce and building internal values to drive us along a different pathway.
This is a challenge that is both exciting and scary, but one I feel driven to solve.
Strategic Awareness
The integration of strategic awareness with purpose-driven principles provides a comprehensive framework for businesses to navigate complex environments while maintaining their core values.
This approach involves:
Purpose as a Strategic Compass
Using purpose as a guiding force to align strategic decisions with long-term goals and societal impact. This helps organisations stay true to their mission while adapting to external changes.
Holistic Value Creation
Focusing on creating value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees, communities, and the environment. This approach goes beyond profit maximisation to include social and environmental considerations.
Continuous Alignment and Adaptation
Regularly assessing and adjusting strategies to ensure alignment with the organisation’s purpose and external market conditions. This involves engaging stakeholders and using data-driven insights to inform decision-making.
Leadership and Culture
Cultivating a leadership style and organisational culture that embodies the organisation’s purpose and strategic awareness. Leaders play a critical role in modelling purpose-driven behaviours and fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation.
The power of Integrated Impact Planning
Strategic awareness and purpose-driven business principles provide a powerful framework for organisations to achieve their strategic goals while making a positive impact on society.
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By integrating these concepts, businesses can create a strategic roadmap that aligns with their core values, adapts to changing environments, and fosters long-term success. This approach not only enhances organisational performance but also contributes to a more sustainable and equitable future.
Book a Call
If you’d like to discuss how you might implement an Integrated Impact Plan book a call here.