“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

From Alice in Wonderland.

As a dog lover, it is hard for me to admit that a cat could be right, but in this case, the Cheshire Cat is exactly right.

You can’t develop a strategy until you know where you want to go.  Therefore, the first job of the senior leader is to set a clear goal.  To decide on One Destination.

Some organizations want to grow flat-out to reach a revenue milestone.  Some organizations want to cash out.  Some want to grow but with minimal risk.  Others want to harvest cash.  Still others are out to maximize their lifestyle.

All of these (and others) are valid destinations … the challenge is to choose the one that is best for you.  And making that choice is a lot harder that it sounds.  Harder still is to get everyone in the organization to agree with the choice.

In an organization, you decide on the destination, and the strategy development process evaluates the various alternatives.  There are lots of potential strategies … the challenge is pick the best one.

The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.

Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.