Strategy in the midst of transformation
The Ask
Adopting a consumer-led focus required broad re-evaluation of functional aims
A global sports apparel company found itself in the middle of a perfect storm. In addition to the challenges created by the pandemic, critical leadership roles at multiple levels had turned over and the entire company was adopting a customer-led approach to replace their traditional product-led focus. Territory was brought in to help the team navigate this shifting, uncertain environment and arrive at a cohesive five-year strategy.
The Solution
The key to successful strategic development is ensuring the strategy you develop can be realized. Working in bite-sized, remote workshops, the team started with the vision—clarifying and defining it so that everyone understood how the change in focus would impact what they did. This was not insignificant—philosophies, processes, and expectations needed to be shared and re-evaluated. Acknowledging that adopting a customer-led approach is not as simple as flipping a switch, the team created space for all input. Next, each function needed to see how their work impacted (and would be impacted by) the work of the other functions. Once the web of interdependencies was understood, the team was able to focus on aligning and coordinating their efforts toward the larger corporate goals.
Strategy development and execution were all impacted by the change in focus
Using facilitated discussion, asynchronous collaboration, and focused exercises, the Territory team was able to:
- Establish a strategy reflecting the vision
- Deepen accountability and document roles and responsibilities
- Help the team shift focus to customer needs within the new, highly integrated environment
With these building blocks in place, the client team has been able to align on key efforts, monitor progress,and ensure that ongoing initiatives support key goals.
