The Art of Strategy

Strategic Artistry: Taking a Deeper Approach for Lasting, Agile Plans

Creativity can involve looking at what is there and mixing it into new patterns, but a deeper approach takes us into the meaning of why and how our systems behave the way they do. Many organizations have success with traditional strategic planning processes, but find themselves stuck in paradigms that hold them in the status quo, or frustrate efforts to shift perspective and adapt to the future. We support a deeper approach focused on shared commitment, respect and developing trust, to support your visionary, strategic and operational outcomes.

THE ART OF STRATEGY:
small-group process over 3 sessions

$12,000

Two facilitators guide your team through The Art of Strategy - one a professional artist pursuing business, and one a career MBA pursuing an artful life. A skilled storyteller documents in the background. After each session we compile your outcomes into useful digital and visual products that consolidate and prepare the session outputs for the next phase. At the end of the three sessions, we provide a visually-appealing summary report with accompanying photos, video snips, graphics and content for your own website, social media and stakeholder reports. Sessions can take place over a period of three days or several weeks as fits your needs.

DAY ONE

Morning: A Call to Action

Leaders routinely underestimate the importance of preparing a visionary or strategic planning team. Like muscles, minds and hearts need warming up and re-alignment, responding to a call to purpose. Drawing on the Arts Principles of Proportion and Movement, participants will explore:

Who I am in proportion to the organization
Who we are as we come together as a planning team
Which stakeholders in this work are absent, and who I represent
What unique viewpoints, perspectives, filters, knowledge and alignments I bring to this planning session
What role I want to play in the journey we are creating together
Alignment and commitment on the purpose

Afternoon: Challenges and Temptation

The vision beckons, the strategy sets the course, and daily operations enact the actions required. Inevitably, potential changes to the current state contain obstacles and challenges that will disrupt this imagined flow. Drawing on the Arts Principles of Rhythm and Variety, participants will explore:

Our understanding of, and commitment to, our common vision
The nature of the Value Stream we engage, create and feed
How value manifests at each stage in the Value Stream
Where formal and informal power acts for and against our purpose at each stage in the Value Stream

DAY TWO

The Abyss and Transformation

Between the current state and the desired state looms a gap - we must acknowledge how wide and deep that gap is, and what might be involved in traversing it. Applying the Arts Principles of Balance and Emphasis, participants will explore:

Strengths and opportunities (existing and emerging) for matching value creation with market needs
Priorities of strategic focus areas most critical for success
Potential approaches to funding strategic imperatives
Milestones, accountable parties and progress measures

DAY THREE

Morning: Harmony and Return

Knowing what we can do, and what we want to do, now we must bring others along with our progress. Applying the Arts Principles of Unity and Harmony, participants will explore:

A visual timeline and recommendations for next steps
Approaches for gaining stakeholder engagement
Envisioning the outcomes and tying back to the original Call to Action
Ways to keep the strategy a living, moving, fully engaged agreement