Strategy

Acolyst helps you close the gap between your current state and desired end result. Our team understands the pressures that companies face to not only excel at day to day operations but also to think and execute strategically.

Acolyst gathers pertinent data and insight from many sources (both internal and external to your company) and then uses these discoveries as the input of well-documented and actionable strategy map. Acolyst’s strategy mapping process is described in more detail in the international best-selling book, “The Four Intelligences of the Business Mind,” written by Acolyst’s EVP and Co-owner, Valeh Nazemoff. Contact us today by clicking “Invitation & Inquire > Inquire Get Results” above to learn more about how an Acolyst strategy map can get you where you need to go.

After obtaining clarity to the insight of your current state and knowing where you need to go, you can now close the gap through effective strategy planning and realignment. Strategy is a method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem.

Strategy

Strategy is knowing not only your destination, but what the journey entails to get there. In today’s chaotic world, managers spend most of their days fighting fires, responding reactively to the events of the day, instead of calmly and proactively planning for tomorrow. Acolyst understands the pressures that companies face to not only excel at day to day operations, but also to think and execute strategically.

Sun Tzu once said, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” It is one thing to have a fantastic dream, it is another thing to know how to make it real. To the reverse, we often engage in busy work by becoming efficient at activities that do nothing to advance our strategy or our goals, thus not being effective.

Acolyst’s commitment to your business does not end once your short-term goals have been achieved. Our solutions and strategies set up our clients and partners to be able to face future challenges more strategically and decisively, even when we are no longer on the project. In short, Acolyst’s passion is helping businesses dream big, and then providing them with the means to make those ideas a reality.

Calling upon over 25 years of experience helping clients and partners of all sizes and types create and implement lasting solutions, Acolyst believes strongly in the use of “strategy mapping”. After working with you to determine your destination (i.e., your strategy), we then aid you in the programming of your GPS or your navigation system (i.e., strategy map), to get there as directly and smoothly as possible.

This crucial step brings with it many considerations, such as:

  1. What is the proper strategy to align with your current business objectives and resources?
  2. How can an outsourced company conform to your company’s culture?
  3. What are the benefits of using an outside firm to help strategize the logistics, work through them and take on the responsibility?

After gathering pertinent data from across your organization (and outside, as needed), Acolyst uses the output from those discoveries to form the foundation of your strategy map (see image to the right from international best-selling book, The Four Intelligences of the Business Mind, authored by Acolyst’s EVP, Valeh Nazemoff).

Acolyst Strategy Map
Strategy

In addition to formulation of the strategy map, Acolyst utilizes technology tools to aid in the tracking of progress against goals and can easily identify any bottlenecks or challenges that arise.

Acolyst has discovered that successful strategy implementation is more than just checking boxes. It is very important that everyone in your company understands the overall future direction and how it relates to their specific job. Dynamic firms work down through the organization when setting goals and objectives, and our experienced team can help you do just that, through communication exercises and responsibility matrices.

Once your strategy map has been created, it is important to understand that this is a living, breathing document that must be flexible and adaptable to your business environment. Just as in real life, there can be detours or challenges, but that doesn’t mean you turn around, you just find another way to get where you need to go.

Strategic Exercises

This is an exciting time for your business. Perhaps you’re working on a project with major deliverables, thinking about expanding your business, or, maybe you need to make adjustments to meet the demands of external factors. Either way, you know that you’re going places, but may not know exactly how to get there. Developing a “strategy map” will help you determine the best way to expand your business.

Sample Exercise

Here are some general questions that would get you going to help you with creating the basis of your strategy map based on your transformational mindset and insights gathered. Keep in mind that each project is different and continual questions must be asked and the answers documented.

So if you are expanding, consolidating, or preparing for an audit, here are some basic strategic mapping exercise questions to get you started no matter what you are transforming in your business:

  1. What data you have gathered from the insight phases is necessary to use?
  2. What data is missing?
  3. What are some potential roadblocks?
  4. What are the impacts (people, process, data, technology, infrastructure, etc)?
  5. How can rework be avoided?
  6. What resources are available?
  7. What are the necessary user roles to support the initiative?
Strategy Sample Exercise
Strategy

The Strategy Mapping Template is an accompaniment to the chapter within The Four Intelligence of the Business Mind, book authored by Acolyst’s Valeh Nazemoff, to help you create your strategy map.

Acolyst Definition Template for Measures_Metrics_KPIs

The Acolyst Definition Template for Measures_Metrics_KPIs is very handy to have on hand and gives people the opportunity to clearly define the meaning of the measures, metrics and KPIs to be used. Depending on your project, you can also add data sources.

Strategy Mapping

The Acolyst Strategy Mapping Template helps to refine Strategic Objectives, with Priorities, aligning with the measures, metrics, and KPIs, and identifying data source. It keeps a plan in place that helps determine what actions and activities are needed to meet SLA targets.

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