RATIONALE

CEOs are the only people who really understand every facet of their business, and they are the keeper of the company’s strategic vision. All too often, however, they can become overwhelmed by the "tyranny of the urgent", and long term vision takes second place to the growing number of employees and customers who take up increasing amounts of time.

The strategic plan needs to be regularly refreshed but the time and thought required to review and revalidate where the company is going and how it needs to position itself to get there becomes increasingly difficult to accomplish as the company grows. Employees, even at the executive level, are parochial to their function rather than seeing the big picture, and they seldom challenge the relevance of the vision of the leader.

CEOs are often too close to be able to step back and take a hard look at the big picture. They need to shut themselves up in their office and think the "big thought", but there is seldom enough time or enough quality information readily available about the marketplace, competition and trends to be able to make informed strategic decisions.

Ironically, much of the information needed for this process already resides within the company and it is a question of ferreting it out and bringing it into the open rather than having to do much external analysis. Information gathering is not hard, but finding time for it is; finding time to analyze yet more data is harder; finding time to think and somebody to bounce ideas off sometimes seems impossible.

This is where Edge Initiatives is invaluable, providing a clear timetable and scope of operation that includes the installation of information feedback programs and the production of a written strategic plan.