Franc Haverkort:
Many people are unfortunately all too familiar with the following situation sketch: after a series of intensive heath days, a thick strategy document is presented, only to silently disappear into a dusty drawer. The result? Complaining at the coffee machine about the ‘new direction’ that nobody really recognises.
At GroupMapping, we know it can be different. When an organisation trades the safe sidelines of the coffee machine for a playing field where people can really help build, collective wisdom is unleashed. At that moment, an organisation transforms from a collection of separate islands into one powerful collective. Strategy is then no longer a static document to be ‘implemented’, but a living process to which people can actively contribute. It is a ‘rolling’ strategy that does not end at launch, but rather guides every consultation and decision that follows.
In this two-part blog series, we explore what happens when you choose an inclusive strategy process that harnesses the power of the whole organisation. To do so, we sat down with Franc Haverkort, partner at GroupMapping since 2017. With years of experience in strategy projects and extensive experience in government, he knows better than anyone how to get movement in organisations and build an inclusive strategy together.
In this first part, we discuss why a strategy is not ready yet, when it is ready and how, as a leader, you give space by letting go. In the next blog, we reflect on ‘stepping in’ rather than ‘just having an opinion’ and what happens when you step out of your silo to embrace the bigger picture.
A recognisable ritual: after months of meetings and writing, a final strategy document is finally on the table. A sigh of relief passes through the boardroom; the ‘must do’ has been accomplished again and for the next four years we are off the hook.
The answer is simple: actually, the real work only begins then. Delivering a strategy is not an end point, but the starting point of a new way of working. When you opt for an inclusive process, it results in an organisation that not only has a plan on paper, but one that actually gets there behind stands and wants to work with it.
A strategy should not feel like an arduous delivery, but a continuous rhythm, also called a rolling strategy. Instead of radically changing course every four years and starting from scratch, build on what is already there.
Franc says he prefers to work with different horizons. The vista: a long-term global direction that remains relatively stable. You also work with the here and now: the translation to daily practice is regularly evaluated and adjusted based on reality. This approach makes strategy an integral part of the annual process and/or management cycle. This prevents it from becoming a static document far removed from daily practice.
According to Franc, the temptation, especially within the government, is to formulate a strategy in such a way as to keep everyone happy. Above all, it should feel ‘fun’ and safe. Especially towards employees who are scarce and stakeholders who are critical. But strategy is about making choices and that goes well if there is a process in which these choices are prepared in an honest and thoughtful way from all important perspectives. It is also important to agree with each other beforehand how the decision-making process looks like, so that you don't surprise or overwhelm each other with it. In such a process, it also means understanding where the resistance is. Franc stresses: “Resistance should not be solved, but rather used. You do that by addressing it at the right moment in the process, namely before you make choices and not afterwards. This requires a culture in which you dare to address each other, instead of covering everything with the ‘cloak of love’. Consensus feels safe, but commitment to a sharp choice really moves the organisation forward.”
A strategy adds little value just by being on paper. The gain is in the translation: what does it mean in concrete terms for the day-to-day reality of employees, managers and chain partners?
“It's not about employees reading a thick document,” he says.” says Franc. “It's about starting the dialogue: what does this mean for my work this afternoon?” This requires leaders who learn to speak the language of strategy and translate it to their teams in their own authentic way. With the right tools, practical toolkits and facilitation skills, leaders can bring their people along, even if they are still searching themselves.
The ultimate goal? That strategy becomes part of the conversation landscape within the organisation. Strategy is not a topic you discuss once a year at a heath day, it has to be woven into the capillaries of the weekly Tuesday morning meeting. When that succeeds, space is created. Leaders can stop micromanaging and start doing what they are paid for: giving direction, focusing and working towards the dot on the horizon.
In the traditional boardroom, strategy is often seen as a job for the chief executive, staff or external consultants. But what if the brainpower is not only at the top, but spread throughout the organisation? Then you need an inclusive process that involves the whole organisation. This does require directors to stop being ‘the makers’, but to let go and trust the wisdom of the organisation.
Letting go is one of the biggest challenges for many directors. And that is understandable, as they often have a lot of substantive knowledge and a sharp vision of the organisation's direction. But the strength of a good leader also lies in creating space for other perspectives that are not their own. It takes courage to say, “I give direction, but I leave the interpretation to you”.”
Letting go does not mean no steering. Franc stressed that steering remains essential, but in the form of establishing clear frameworks in advance.
“For example, a director provides the mission, legal duties or organisational structure as a framework. Within the frameworks, there is room for employees or stakeholders to fill in the ‘what’ and ‘how’.” After that, the trick as a director is not to intervene immediately when he or she thinks he or she knows better. “Once you choose an inclusive process, there is no turning back. Intervening immediately undermines the ownership and energy of the everyone who got started. It takes backbone to accept that the outcome can be surprising, and to remind each other: this is different from what I thought, but within the frameworks I gave, this is a great outcome.”.
Why go through this exciting process? Because the result is really different. A strategy imposed from above often has to be ‘sold’ to the organisation with great difficulty afterwards. With an inclusive approach, that dynamic changes. Because people do not need to be convinced of a plan they themselves helped to build. There is ownership, enthusiasm and a natural willingness to put their shoulders to the wheel.
As Franc advises doubting directors: “Talk to those who have already done it. The process is intensive, but the foundation you lay with it is priceless.”
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Contact us to find out how to harness the brainpower of your entire organisation.
