Toss Conventional Wisdom for Fresh Thinking to Make Strategy Work

By Laura Stone & Elizabeth LaPierre

It happens all the time. Plans are rolled out for a strategy for the coming year, or a new project, or a new division, and “conventional wisdom” wins the day. No new ideas, no fresh thinking.  Times have changed such that conventional “wisdom” usually doesn’t cut it anymore. Instead, fresh thinking is the new strategic king, outscoring conventional wisdom every time. Behold 12 potent examples.

1. Conventional wisdom: Try to save money by short-cutting your planning process, budget and time investment.

Fresh thinking: Strategic thinking and planning are more important now than ever. A carefully thought-out, collaborative plan saves thousands if not millions of dollars in wasted efforts, confusion and diluted focus. Consider this an investment that will pay big dividends throughout the coming months.

2. Conventional wisdom: Plan critical meetings by yourself in about 30 minutes.

Fresh thinking: Effective meeting planning can take about as long as the meeting itself, meaning a two-day meeting can take at least two days to plan depending on the complexity of the issues. Solicit from attendees both input on their needs and buy-in to design a valuable meeting.

3. Conventional wisdom: Plan a one-day meeting for three days of work.

Fresh thinking: Complex strategies take time to develop. There is no easy way or shortcut around this, and it always takes longer than you think it will. A great read is David Strauss’s book, “How to Make Meetings Work.”

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