Strategic Planning Analogy #433: Constructive Energy

THE STORY
Although construction and destruction are opposite results, they can often come from the same source. For example, a nuclear power plant uses the same basic principles of nuclear physics as a nuclear bomb. Yet, the output from a nuclear power plant is constructive while the output from a nuclear bomb is destructive. Same source, but radically different outcomes.

In the same way an axe provides radically different results, depending upon how it is used. In the hands of a lumberjack, an axe is very constructive. In the hands of an axe murderer, the results are very destructive.

So is the power of the axe or of nuclear reactions good or bad? Is it a force for construction or destruction? In reality, it is just a source of power; an input. The outcome depends on how the power is controlled.

THE ANALOGY
Another source of power, besides axes and nuclear reactions, is management. Over the years, I have seen examples of management doing things which are very positive and constructive to a business. I have also seen management do things which are very destructive to a business.

Sometimes, we are quick to place a value on the input based solely upon the outcome. We will say that all the managers who provided constructive outcomes were “good” managers and all of the managers who provided destructive outcomes were “bad” managers.

Now in some cases, this is true. There are some really good and really bad managers out there. But in general, I’d say that management tends to follow a bell-shaped curve, with most of the management in the middle rather than at the extremes of good or evil. I think this is particularly true at mid-management levels. Therefore, if we want good outcomes from the core of our business, we need to consider the lesson of the axe and nuclear reactions.

An axe is not inherently good or bad. The value of the axe is determined by the one using it (lumberjack or axe murderer). In the same way, most managers are not automatically always either extremely good or extremely bad. The outcome, good or bad, is highly influenced by how the company uses its management.

In a toxic business culture, it is difficult for any manager to be very constructive. Conversely, in a healthy culture, it is far more difficult for a manager to be destructive. So if you want good outcomes, it takes more than just finding good managers. You also need to place those managers in an environment where good outcomes are more likely to occur.

Just as the holder of the axe has to take some of the responsibility for the outcome of the axe, a business has to take some of the responsibility for the outcome of its management

Therefore, we should not automatically and hastily replace a manager just because the results were bad. Unless the environment changes, the next manager may be no more successful in his/her results than the last one. For example, I worked with a company division that went through about 4 presidents in a nine year period. Yet, despite frequent changes in management, the results continued on the essentially the same poor path. The bad corporate environment was more influential on results than the character of the leader.

So, before making a quick value judgment on a manager, consider the way in which the manager was used by the business. Perhaps the best way to improve results is not by replacing the manager, but by replacing the environment the manager is put in. And, as we will see in this blog, an increased emphasis on strategic planning can be an easy and effective way to improve that environment and allow your management to be more constructive in its outputs.

THE PRINCIPLE
One of the biggest problems facing the strategic planning profession is the growing image of Strategic Planning as being irrelevant. The logic of those who believe in the irrelevance of strategic planning usually goes something like this:

a) The world is moving too fast; constant change makes it impossible to effectively plan the future.

b) Those annual planning meetings produce documents that are ignored and go on the shelf, and have no relevance to everyday decisions.

c)If we adequately empower the people on the front lines, they can get the job done without needing the advice of strategists stuck in the ivory tower away from where the action is.

As the image of strategic planning declines, so does the number of strategic planning jobs inside businesses. Just go and look at all those job boards on the internet. Titles like “VP of Strategic Planning” are disappearing. If you click on one of the drop lists of job types on these sites, strategy usually isn’t even on the list.

If you, like me, still believe in the benefits of strategic planning, then this is not good news. In response, one can try to change these people’s minds by attacking those three points above (and I think good rebuttals can be made). However, that may not be the best approach.

My suggestion is to counterattack on a different front. One such counterattack is to say that strategic planning makes all of those empowered people more effective. In other words, a small investment in strategic planning can increase the quality of the output of management, leading to far better financial results. Like the axe and the nuclear reactions, you can turn management output to greater good because you place them in a better environment.

Most Managers Are Ineffective
This can be seen in a study by academics Heike Bruch and the late Sumantra Ghoshal as reported by CBS Moneywatch. Bruch and Ghoshal defined managerial success as “decisive, purposeful action.” For them, good managerial output is action which results in leading the company forward.

What they discovered was that only about 10 percent of the managers they studied created decisive, purposeful action. In other words, about 90% of managers are not effective.

The rest of the management was classified as follows:

a) Approximately 40% energetic, but not focused (effort wasted);
b) Approximately 30% had low energy, little focus and tended to procrastinate; and
c) Approximately 10% were focused, but not very energetic.

Businesses should not be happy when approximately 90% of their managers are ineffective. This should be a call for change.

Strategic Planning Can Create Effectiveness
The largest segment of ineffective managers was those who had the energy, but not the proper direction (no focus). These are like the people who have the nuclear energy but make destructive bombs rather than constructive electricity. They have the capacity and the desire to do good work, but the effort is dissipated due to lack of proper focus.

Well, guess what is the best way to give managers focus? It is through strategic planning. Strategic planning provides focus and direction. It tells people what the goal is—where the vision lies and how to get there. Strategic planners can not only help set that focus, but help communicate that focus to all the managers and show them how their role fits into that focus.

If a company makes a relatively small investment in strategic planning, they can turn that 40% who are energetic and not focused into productive, focused managers. Suddenly, a typical company goes from having only about 10% of their managers productive to having about half of their managers productive.

What other similar-sized investment could a company make that could have such a dramatic increase in management effectiveness? I can’t think of any. It’s a no-brainer. Invest in strategic planning because it turns unproductive managers into productive managers.

This is an outstanding return on investment. And for that alone you can justify having strategic planners in the organization.

SUMMARY
Success does not come from merely having powerful tools. Powerful tools can be both constructive or destructive, depending upon how they are used. In the same way, managers can be effective or ineffective, depending upon whether or not the company provides them the proper focus. Strategic planning can provide such a focus. Therefore, you can justify an investment in strategic planning merely by looking at its ability to turn ineffective management into effective management.

FINAL THOUGHTS
You can be the best strategist in the world, but if nobody wants it, then you cannot use your gift for good. Therefore, we need to continually defend the value of the discipline.