When I hear the words “strategic planning”, I think of a conference room or corner office rife with the posturing of egos and the regurgitation of the latest Harvard Business Review article on the subject. Theory and practice are often mutually exclusive when it comes to strategic planning. I’ve rarely experienced strategic plans that survive the first contact with reality – and reality is defined by the client. Today’s sales dynamic is evolving. Information now resides at the fingertips of a prospect. The sales person no longer holds the secret of arcane mystery – otherwise known as knowledge. Today we are collaborators, co-conspirators and transparent purveyors of services that foster and enhance the client’s business design – or we are redundant. Redundancy is followed by obsolescence.
Long-term thinking is a strategic map to the future. It is a map that includes bridges to the “next” – those landmark features, essential to the continuation of the journey. In some cases, it is a strategic call to action that comes alive through tactics played out today – tactics that support and sustain the corporate vision. Long-term thinking often has short-term implications. Business today changes tomorrow. We must be fluid, able to adapt – to assess and address threats on the horizon and find the opportunities that exists on the other side of risk.
We may think long-term, but we must act in the short-term. It is the strategies and tactics we implement today that make a difference tomorrow. As a point of caution, strategic thinking can be “leadership-speak” or a box checked by management that makes us feel and believe that we have direction, a plan and a way. Often, all we have is a piece of paper. If we don’t tie our long-term aspirations to short-term result, our plan isn’t worth the paper it’s scribbled on. To turn strategic plan from wishful fantasy to fluid map forward, “Think Next and Act Now!”
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Bill Wooditch is a keynote speaker and peak-performance business training coach. He is a mentor and advocate for those who actively seek and are determined to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.
He began his career with $200 to his name, a suitcase, one corduroy suit and two ties. Retreat wasn’t an option; there was only one way – Always Forward! His purpose, energy and conviction fueled his meteoric sales success. In two years, he “found a way and made a way” to become the top salesperson at Liberty Mutual – a company employing over 19,000 people at the time. Ready for the “next challenge”, he was recruited by and joined the 6th largest broker in the world, Corroon & Black (currently the Willis Group), where, for two consecutive years, he earned the distinction as the top producer in the company.
Today, he is the founder, CEO, and president of The Wooditch Group, a privately held risk management and insurance services firm. The Wooditch Group provides client-centric solutions and comprehensive risk management programs for domestic and international clients whose revenues range from $10 million to over $3 billion. He is also the founder of Think Next, Act Now!, a company that trains and mentors tomorrow’s entrepreneur today.
He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Purdue University and his Master’s degree in Public Administration at Penn State.
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He began his career with $200 to his name, a suitcase, one corduroy suit and two ties. Retreat wasn’t an option; there was only one way – Always Forward! His purpose, energy and conviction fueled his meteoric sales success. In two years, he “found a way and made a way” to become the top salesperson at Liberty Mutual – a company employing over 19,000 people at the time. Ready for the “next challenge”, he was recruited by and joined the 6th largest broker in the world, Corroon & Black (currently the Willis Group), where, for two consecutive years, he earned the distinction as the top producer in the company.
Today, he is the founder, CEO, and president of The Wooditch Group, a privately held risk management and insurance services firm. The Wooditch Group provides client-centric solutions and comprehensive risk management programs for domestic and international clients whose revenues range from $10 million to over $3 billion. He is also the founder of Think Next, Act Now!, a company that trains and mentors tomorrow’s entrepreneur today.
He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Purdue University and his Master’s degree in Public Administration at Penn State.
- Do You Think Next and Act Now? - August 21, 2016
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- Work With Your Nature – Not Against It! - June 27, 2016