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 Strategic questioning by Paul Lemberg. The route to creating strategy "strategy" is simple – asking the right questions.
What value proposition will you offer customers? What meaningful difference will you make in your marketplace? What meaningful difference will you make in your world? How do you want to affect the lives of your people, your customers, your clients? Your family? Answer these questions and you are on road to inventing your "strategy" . Here are some questions to help you formulate "strategy" . § What "vision" , "purpose" and "values" are embodied in your company? § What would have them be realized even further? § What, specifically, would make your company “better” than it is now? (More profitable, greater revenues, improved product, improved service, more value for the customer, etc.) § If you could do absolutely anything in your industry, what would it be? Are you doing that now? If not, why not? § What are the most important reasons people buy your product or service? § Why would you like people to buy your product? § How do you rate on the 1-10 scale, with respect to those reasons? § How could you improve that rating? § What are three major changes shaping your industry over the next five to ten years? § In what ways are you positioned to participate in those changes? § What is the most important thing you have to offer your customers. § Why is that important to you? § Why is that important to your customers? § In your wildest fantasies, what do you want people to be able to say about your company, or your product? § What is necessary for people to be able to say that? § What is happening in other industries that could be adapted to your business and your product offering? § What do you think is missing from your product offering? § What would make your product really amazing!!!!? § What are your competitors doing that “blows your mind?” § What are your competitors doing that “blows your customers’ minds?” § What should your competitors be doing that would “blow your mind?” § Should you be doing that? § What have your customers told you they just can’t get anywhere? Is that something you should offer? § What products are related to your current offering, that you could offer? § What products do other companies (non-competitors) offer, which you could offer your customers? § How would those products add value? § What actions could you take today which would double your profits in 24 months? How about in 12 months? § What is missing for you to take those actions? § What is in the way of you taking those actions? § What business are you really in? § Should you pare down to just that business? § Can you create additional value focused on that business only? § What would make your product 10% – just 10% – better than anything in your market space? § What are the most glaring weaknesses of your company? § What are you doing to redress those weaknesses? § What is your "vision" for the next five years? § Are you moving decisively towards realizing that "vision" ? § If not, what would move you in that "direction" ? § What are the key needs of the major stakeholders (owners, employees, customers, etc.)? § Are those needs "being" served? § What are three things you’d really like to do – which would make a significant difference (to your customers, or perhaps, to the world)- but have excellent reasons for not doing? § How valid are those excellent reasons? § What are the meaningful differences (The Gap) between your five- year "vision" for your company, and where you are now? § What can you do to close The Gap that you are not doing now? § If you were starting from scratch, what would you do next? § What is the most dramatic trend that affects your industry? § Are you part of that trend? § Should you be? § What would you find truly meaningful? The route to creating strategy "strategy" is simple – asking the right questions.
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