Strategy
Where to grow, which markets to enter, and which businesses to keep.
A strategy question, split
Strategy questions are about where to play. The tree keeps the options apart, so each one is judged on its own evidence.
Sample tree: a bakery chain, 22 shops
Week 3 of 10
Should we open in a second city?
Is there demand?
Wholesale buyers there already ask for us Confirmed, tested first
Shoppers will cross town for bread Still to test
Can we make money?
A new bakery pays back within four years Still to test
Rents are too high for small shops Ruled out
Can we run it?
Two managers are ready to move Confirmed
Confirmed Still to test Ruled out Tested first
What a strategy engagement includes
Eight to ten weeks with your leadership team, ending in a short written answer and a board session to decide on it.
- Interviews with your leadership team and key customers
- The market, your share of it and the rivals that matter
- Two or three options, each with its evidence
- A board session to decide, and the plan that follows
Bring us the question you cannot answer yet
Write it down in a sentence or two. A partner reads it, calls you within two working days and tells you honestly whether a two-week diagnostic would help.