LEAD MAGAZINE | 2019
RAINER PETEK
TRANSFORM
WITH A STORY,
AND PUT ASIDE
YOUR PLAN OR
YOUR VISION
FOR A MOMENT
The Background
In recent years, I have seen more and more
attempts by leaders failing to lead their
companies or divisions into the future with
strategic plans or a vision, or at least not achieve
the hoped-for success. All of them were leaders
with smart ideas and a pronounced awareness
of opportunities who were looking for more
allies for these ideas or opportunities.
The reason for the failure of the vision approach
was always a combination of several or
sometimes even all following points:
- I n the end, the vision was so abstractly
formulated that it did not unfold any energy to
participate.
- T
he vision formulation had become a
calligraphic exercise.
- T
he challenge was so uncertain and
ambiguous that no crystal-clear and
powerful vision could be formulated.
- T
he vision was already Vision No. 5 or Vision
No. 11, and none of the previous visions had
ever been achieved or seriously pursued.
- T
he vision gave a top-down impression:
“This is OUR (management’s) vision – it is
YOUR (the next levels) job implementing
it now! - the necessary ownership for
the implementation was missing.
Also in the approach with the Strategic Plan
62
there were a few recurring reasons:
-
The strategic plan was not a coherent,
meaningful whole, but a collection of beautifully
designed PowerPoint slides.
- The strategic plan consisted mainly of objectives
set by a small strategic staff team for the rest
of the organization - as described above, these
strategic plans usually also gave a top-down
impression.
- As in the example with the visions, most of the
strategic plans were so abstract in the end that
they didn’t unfold any energy to participate.
possibilities as opportunities and possibilities
and not as a fixed goal or a vision.
- Because it does not pretend clarity, where
there (yet) is no clarity
- Because it also gives answers to the burning
why and what-for questions, instead of just
delivering a where-to.
- Because it can be continued together
and can also be adapted to rapidly
changing circumstances.
- The integration of the people who were not
involved in the formulation was usually done
through PowerPoint presentations in the
context of road shows. How to craft a powerful story
Could this simply mean that you shouldn’t try
desperately to formulate a vision or make a
strategic plan if you have a fascinating idea or
see a great opportunity for which you are looking
for allies? I would like to present you with a much
more effective tool - the concept has been tried
and tested for thousands of years and is highly
topical today: find your supporters and create
future orientation with the help of a story about
the future that you write together! Important criteria are:
This is why a good story is so effective in a highly
dynamic, uncertain environment,
- Because, in addition to a direction, it also
provides a reason for start, change and action.
- Because it describes opportunities and
A transformation- or opportunity-story is a One-
Pager of carefully crafted sentences designed
to give your company or division a strategic
direction and create a sense of optimism.
- Does the story - and with it the
strategy - really make sense?
- Is it suitable for further storytelling
and therefore spreading it in every
part of the organization?
- Is the story so short that you can remember it?
- And is it so good, so inspiring or exciting
that you want to tell it to others?
In any case, the strategic story should