Celebrating Canada!
June 28, 2010
All of you who know me well, know that Canada Day is my favourite day of the year. It’s just something about seeing all of that red and white and hearing our national anthem that never fails to bring a lump to my throat. And this year (pass the Kleenex please) the year of “our” Olympics - Canada Day will be even sweeter.
To Canadians (and all of those folks that want to be!), the Vancouver Olympics could be best described with that single word "inspired"! We all watched, riveted to our TV screens, as the spectacle unfolded, elite athletes, fully committed to their sports, fuelled by their passion and patriotism leading the way or were they….?
To me, reflecting back, the story of the games seems to be much more than just the number of medals collected and the athletes. Rather it is a compelling story and celebration of good ol’ fashioned Canadian leadership at its very best! The kind of strong and quiet leadership that creates a bold and clear vision (“Own the Podium" how appropriate!), then puts strategies and resources behind it, (thanks Sport Canada!). But that’s only part of the story for a winning Team Canada or a winning company. Indeed, strong leadership continues with bringing the right people on board at all levels, then supporting those ‘stars’ while they execute and shine or shall we say, “kick butt”! Wow!
And we saw that leadership trickle down through every sport, every event - from the short track skaters’ innovative “pushing” strategy, to snowboard cross forward body thrust strategy. Clearly gold did not come by accident, but strategically, by design.
Just moments before the Gold Medal game, one of the leaders of the men’s hockey team, Coach Mike Babcock was asked about his message to the team. “We’re ready. We’ll continue to do what we’ve been working on - the plan. Now it’s about having fun, and executing. Now we have the opportunity and we want to make good on it.” Indeed they executed and we believed!
Happy Canada Day, Everyone!
Lynne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v0o27BPIIk
Lynne Fisher
When the time is right
May 20, 2010
I love walking in on a Sunday afternoon with our border collie, Charlie. It clears my head, opens my thinking, and just generally makes me feel enlivened - and Charlie, never, ever complains about trotting along...
On a recent excursion, my thoughts were interrupted by a small flock of Canada geese headed east - my first reaction, “Wow - they’re early." I wondered how they decide when and how to start their journey north. Is it one goose that gets the idea, then rallies all of the others around to finish up their lunch, then take off? What’s the event that gets things going?
As a strategist, I regard the migration as highly strategic. The geese always know that their objective is to return to their nesting grounds, they know the strategy and direction that they need to head - north - in a V formation, and they’re simply waiting for the right “trigger” to begin the journey. Darned smart, those Canada geese!
Smart companies are like that too. Recently I attended a U of A business alumni dinner where John Ferguson, Chairman of Suncor, was speaking of the big 2009 Suncor/PetroCan merger. Ferguson spoke of the fact that Suncor had long been seeking to become more fully integrated (The Objective), and had identified that the best way to do that was through the merger or acquisition of an energy company that “fit” with the values and direction of Suncor (The Strategic Direction). Petro Canada was identified as the leading “contender” in 1999 - 10 years earlier!
The rest of the talk was a fascinating account of the 10 year relationship that was nurtured between the companies’ respective CEO’s and Chairmen, and how the deal was triggered and “sealed” on a particular day in a Calgary hotel room between the four leaders, when all of the stars aligned relating to share value, terms met, etc. It was a captivating story of the importance of time and timing in strategic leadership.
You see, great strategic leadership isn’t just about direction, it’s also about timing. It isn’t just creating a strategic plan, and following the plan to the letter. Rather, good strategic leadership is about;
1. having a plan with clear objectives, knowing what the owners, and team want (and don’t want!) for the company
2. creating ways (strategies - not just one!) that fit for your company’s particular circumstances (competitive situation, capabilities, industry situation, etc.) that will achieve those objectives.
3. executing on the various strategies and initiatives when the time is right - whether it’s now or later (hopefully not 10 years!).
Good strategic plans are clear in what doesn’t or does makes sense for the company (a merger, in the case of Suncor) and include “Flex” - contingency plans that can be triggered quickly if circumstances change, and when the time is right! One of our clients, for example, whose plan was developed 24 months ago identified 12 strategic initiatives. While only a handful are being executed right now, the remaining are coming onstream as they “fit” for cash flow, customer demand, competitive circumstances etc.
Oh, and on the Canada geese. Experts aren’t quite sure what exactly triggers the exodus, but on a gorgeous March Sunday afternoon, it’s wonderful and enough to hear their familiar honks!
Lynne Fisher
June 28, 2010
All of you who know me well, know that Canada Day is my favourite day of the year. It’s just something about seeing all of that red and white and hearing our national anthem that never fails to bring a lump to my throat. And this year (pass the Kleenex please) the year of “our” Olympics - Canada Day will be even sweeter.
To Canadians (and all of those folks that want to be!), the Vancouver Olympics could be best described with that single word "inspired"! We all watched, riveted to our TV screens, as the spectacle unfolded, elite athletes, fully committed to their sports, fuelled by their passion and patriotism leading the way or were they….?
To me, reflecting back, the story of the games seems to be much more than just the number of medals collected and the athletes. Rather it is a compelling story and celebration of good ol’ fashioned Canadian leadership at its very best! The kind of strong and quiet leadership that creates a bold and clear vision (“Own the Podium" how appropriate!), then puts strategies and resources behind it, (thanks Sport Canada!). But that’s only part of the story for a winning Team Canada or a winning company. Indeed, strong leadership continues with bringing the right people on board at all levels, then supporting those ‘stars’ while they execute and shine or shall we say, “kick butt”! Wow!
And we saw that leadership trickle down through every sport, every event - from the short track skaters’ innovative “pushing” strategy, to snowboard cross forward body thrust strategy. Clearly gold did not come by accident, but strategically, by design.
Just moments before the Gold Medal game, one of the leaders of the men’s hockey team, Coach Mike Babcock was asked about his message to the team. “We’re ready. We’ll continue to do what we’ve been working on - the plan. Now it’s about having fun, and executing. Now we have the opportunity and we want to make good on it.” Indeed they executed and we believed!
Happy Canada Day, Everyone!
Lynne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v0o27BPIIk
Lynne Fisher
When the time is right
May 20, 2010
I love walking in on a Sunday afternoon with our border collie, Charlie. It clears my head, opens my thinking, and just generally makes me feel enlivened - and Charlie, never, ever complains about trotting along...
On a recent excursion, my thoughts were interrupted by a small flock of Canada geese headed east - my first reaction, “Wow - they’re early." I wondered how they decide when and how to start their journey north. Is it one goose that gets the idea, then rallies all of the others around to finish up their lunch, then take off? What’s the event that gets things going?
As a strategist, I regard the migration as highly strategic. The geese always know that their objective is to return to their nesting grounds, they know the strategy and direction that they need to head - north - in a V formation, and they’re simply waiting for the right “trigger” to begin the journey. Darned smart, those Canada geese!
Smart companies are like that too. Recently I attended a U of A business alumni dinner where John Ferguson, Chairman of Suncor, was speaking of the big 2009 Suncor/PetroCan merger. Ferguson spoke of the fact that Suncor had long been seeking to become more fully integrated (The Objective), and had identified that the best way to do that was through the merger or acquisition of an energy company that “fit” with the values and direction of Suncor (The Strategic Direction). Petro Canada was identified as the leading “contender” in 1999 - 10 years earlier!
The rest of the talk was a fascinating account of the 10 year relationship that was nurtured between the companies’ respective CEO’s and Chairmen, and how the deal was triggered and “sealed” on a particular day in a Calgary hotel room between the four leaders, when all of the stars aligned relating to share value, terms met, etc. It was a captivating story of the importance of time and timing in strategic leadership.
You see, great strategic leadership isn’t just about direction, it’s also about timing. It isn’t just creating a strategic plan, and following the plan to the letter. Rather, good strategic leadership is about;
1. having a plan with clear objectives, knowing what the owners, and team want (and don’t want!) for the company
2. creating ways (strategies - not just one!) that fit for your company’s particular circumstances (competitive situation, capabilities, industry situation, etc.) that will achieve those objectives.
3. executing on the various strategies and initiatives when the time is right - whether it’s now or later (hopefully not 10 years!).
Good strategic plans are clear in what doesn’t or does makes sense for the company (a merger, in the case of Suncor) and include “Flex” - contingency plans that can be triggered quickly if circumstances change, and when the time is right! One of our clients, for example, whose plan was developed 24 months ago identified 12 strategic initiatives. While only a handful are being executed right now, the remaining are coming onstream as they “fit” for cash flow, customer demand, competitive circumstances etc.
Oh, and on the Canada geese. Experts aren’t quite sure what exactly triggers the exodus, but on a gorgeous March Sunday afternoon, it’s wonderful and enough to hear their familiar honks!
Lynne Fisher
