Workbook
Table of Contents Step 1: Discover 3 Individual Survey 4 GOST 5 Purpose Channeling 8 Mission Statement 15 Vision Statement 17 Values List 18 Step 2: Differentiate 19 Differentiation Questions 20 Different Value Matrix 23 Step 3: Decide 26 Resource Inventory 27 Strategy Profile 28 Trade-off Matrix 30 Not-to-Do List 31 Step 4: Design 32 SWOT Analysis 33 Opportunity & Threat Matrices 34 SWOT Alignment 36 StrategyPrint 38 Step 5: Drive 40 Strategy Conversations 41 Activity System Map 45 About Rich Horwath 47 Copyright 2012 by Rich Horwath. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be copied, or reproduced without the written permission of the Strategic Thinking Institute. Please contact rich@strategyskills.com to inquire about additional copies. 2
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Individual Survey Develop your Individual Survey by identifying and recording your top-of-mind thoughts/highlights in each of the four areas. Mind Body Finances Relationships 4
GOST Goal: A general target What generally you are trying to achieve. Example: Lose weight. Objective: Speci=ic outcome desired What speci,ically you are trying to achieve. Example: Lose 15 pounds in six months. Strategy: The resource allocation plan How generally to achieve the goals. Example: Eliminate weight- causing behaviors and create weight- reducing behaviors. Tactic: The tangible activities/items that carry out the strategies How speci,ically to achieve the goals. Example: Drink diet soda, purchase treadmill & elastic strength bands, eat protein- based breakfast (i.e., eggs, peanut butter). 5
Goal GOST Exercise Identify your goal, objective, strategy and tactics below: Objective Strategy Tactics Goal Objective Strategy Tactics 6
GOST Exercise Goal Objective Strategy Tactics Goal Objective Strategy Tactics 7
Purpose Channeling Complete the seven- stage Purpose Channeling exercise to determine the ideal outlets for your purpose: 1. What do I want? 2. How will I know when I get it? 8
3. Describe the key moments for the time frames in your life: Birth 9: 10 19: 20 29: 30 39: 9
40 49: 50 59: 60 69: 70+: 10
4. List the moments of importance and excitement in your past. 5. Identify the themes running through those moments. 6. Create a list of potential channels to utilize your theme(s) 11
7. Develop a plan to prepare for entry into the channels you identi=ied. Channel: Preparation: Channel: Preparation: 12
Develop a plan to prepare for entry into the channels you identi=ied Channel: Preparation: Channel: Preparation: 13
Develop a plan to prepare for entry into the channels you identi=ied Channel: Preparation: Channel: Preparation: 14
Creating a Mission Statement To develop your individual mission statement, answer the following questions. Then compile your answers into a 2-4 sentence summary to express your individual mission. 1. What do you do? 2. How do you do it? 3. Whom are you serving? 15
4. Why are you doing it? 5. What s different? Using the answers you recorded for the previous =ive questions, create your mission statement: 16
Creating a Vision Statement Describe in detail how you d like your life to look in the future (Select a time frame: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 years into the future). Include your primary aspirations relative to career, lifestyle, relationships, =inancial status, health, etc. Using the criteria of a good vision statement, take the essence of the previous answer and capture it in one sentence. If you d like, you can also develop a vision for your four areas of mind, body, relationships and =inances. 17
Creating a Values List Create a laundry list of your values, those that best represent your ideals, principles and beliefs: From the list above, select the 3-5 that are most true to you, that will guide your behaviors, actions and decisions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 18
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Differentiation 1. What are the activities I perform that are truly different from those others perform? 2. What are the similar activities I perform in different ways than others do? 3. What characteristics or traits do I have that are unique to me? 4. What resources do I have that are different from those of others? 20
5. How does my purpose differ from that of others? 6. How do my family, friends, and colleagues describe my differences? 7. How do my purpose channel themes differ from those of others? 21
8. In what ways can I express my strategic themes differently than others do? 9. How does my personal development plan differ from that of others? 10. What is the primary differentiated value I bring to people in my life? 22
Different Value Matrix Complete a Different Value Matrix using the following steps: 1. List your knowledge, skills, activities, characteristics, and traits. Knowledge: Skills: Activities: Traits: 23
Different Value Matrix 2. Plot the items from question one on the matrix, using a small circle with a label. High Value Low Low Differentiation High 24
Different Value Matrix 3. Identify the items in the highly different, highly valued quadrant (upper right). 4. Consider which items not currently in the upper- right quadrant could, with an investment of your resources, be moved there. How would you describe the differentiated value you provide? What channels could you use to deliver this differentiated value? 25
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Resource Inventory Under each column, list the areas where you re currently investing those resources. Under Time, one might have the following: children, spouse/partner, work, friends, volunteering, church, exercising, television, hobbies. In parentheses, write the number of hours. For Talents, list the areas where your talents =lourish. For Finances record items of income, investment and expense with dollar amounts in parentheses. Time Talents Finances 27
Strategy Profile To construct your Strategy Pro=ile, follow these steps: 1. List the areas of potential resource investment in the left column. 2. Rate your investment of time, talent and budget for each factor on a scale of 1-10, with 1 = low investment of your resources and 10 = high investment of your resources. Areas of Resource Investment Your Rating 28
Strategy Profile Place the areas of investment along the x- axis. Then plot the scores for each area and connect the dots to see your strategy pro=ile. 10 9 8 Level of Investment 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Areas of Investment 29
Trade-off Matrix Using the areas of potential investment identi=ied in the Strategy Pro=ile, determine which areas should receive no future resources (list these in the eliminate quadrant). Then decide which areas should receive increased resources (list in the Increase quadrant) and which areas should receive fewer resources (list in the Decrease quadrant). Finally, determine which areas could be created that you have not included in the past (list in the Create quadrant). Eliminate Increase Decrease Create 30
Not-to-Do List Create your Not- to- Do List by identifying the areas and activities in which you are no longer going to invest your resources (time, talent, and money). 31
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SWOT Analysis Use the following grid to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats 33
Opportunity Matrix Plot the opportunities you have according to probability of achievement and impact. 10 9 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Probability of Achievement 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Impact 34
Threat Matrix Plot the threats facing your development and success according to probability of occurrence and impact. 10 9 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Probability of Occurrence 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Impact 35
SWOT Alignment Once the SWOT variables are identi=ied and prioritized, it is helpful to align the internal strengths and weaknesses with the external opportunities and threats to begin exploring strategic direction. The following template demonstrates the means of aligning the SWOT elements. Strengths Weaknesses Threats Opportunities How do I use my strengths to take advantage of these opportuni7es? How do I use my strengths to reduce the likelihood and impact of these threats? How do I overcome my weaknesses that prevent me from taking advantage of these opportuni7es? How do I address my weaknesses that will make these threats a reality? 36
SWOT Alignment for Strategy Goals: Strengths Weaknesses Internal 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. External 4. 4. 5. 5. 1. Opportunities Possible Strategies 1. Possible Strategies 1. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. 4. 4. 4. 5. 5. 5. 1. Threats Possible Strategies 1. Possible Strategies 1. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. 4. 4. 4. 5. 5. 5. 37
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Strategy Conversations Dialogue Phase Use the following questions to frame your strategy- conversation dialogues: 1. How do you see my goals and strategies affecting our relationship? 2. Are there any aspects of my goals and strategies that are not clear? 3. What do you see as the biggest obstacles I face in reaching these goals? 4. Are there any other strategies I can use to hit these goals? 5. How can I help you use your strategies to achieve your goals? 41
6. How can these strategies be translated to other areas of your life? 7. Are there any barriers to successfully implementing these strategies? 8. How do your goals and strategies overlap or diverge from the ones I ve outlined? 9. Have there been any recent changes at home or work that will affect these goals and strategies? 10. What creative ways can we use to communicate these strategies to others on a periodic basis? 42
Strategy Conversations Discussion Phase Use the following questions to frame the discussion portion of the conversation: 1. Which strategies are you going to use to achieve your goals? 2. What are the trade- offs you re making with your resources? 3. Which goal is your top priority? 4. What new behaviors are you introducing in order to achieve your goals? 5. What old behaviors are you stopping in order to achieve your goals? 43
6. Which people are you choosing not to interact with? 7. What are you choosing not to offer to others? 8. How does your strategy differentiate you from others? 9. What resources are required to implement your strategies, and to what levels? 10. What are the main threats that might keep you from achieving your goals? 44
Activity System Map Steps in Building an Activity System Map: 1. Create a list of all of your potential strategic themes, the areas where you can focus your time, talent and =inances, to most effectively reach your goals: 2. From the list above, identify the 3-5 strategic themes that you will focus on: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 3. Plot the 3-5 strategic themes using large spheres on the following page. Then attach smaller spheres with lines representing the activities and tactics you ll use to support the strategic themes. 45
Activity System Map 46
About Rich Horwath Rich Horwath is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best selling author on strategy. As the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, he leads executive teams through the strategy process and has helped more than 50,000 managers around the world develop their strategic thinking skills. Rich's work has been pro=iled on CNBC, Investor's Business Daily, CBS Money Watch, NBC and FOX TV. As a former chief strategy of=icer and professor of strategy, he brings both real- world experience and practical expertise to help groups build their strategy skills. A highly sought after keynote speaker, several national organizations have ranked him the #1 speaker on strategy. As an innovator in the =ield of strategic thinking, Rich has created dozens of proprietary strategic thinking tools to help managers become truly strategic leaders. His portfolio includes assessments, books, workbooks, software, group workshops, instructional videos, templates, strategic counsel and the =irst ever business strategy comic books. Rich's monthly e- publication entitled Strategic Thinker is read by thousands of business leaders and academicians around the world. His book, Deep Dive: The Proven Method for Building Strategy has been described by the Director of Worldwide Operations for McDonalds as...the most valuable book ever written on strategic thinking. Rich's most recent book, Strategy for You: Building A Bridge to the Life You Want, is the =irst to help people apply the principles of business strategy for both professional and personal success. Rich earned an MBA with Distinction from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University and has completed courses in strategy at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. He resides in Barrington Hills, Illinois. Contact Information: (847) 756-4707 rich@strategyskills.com www.strategyskills.com Twitter: @RichHorwath 47