Having an idea, a dream or a plan is one thing. Moving it to reality is quite another. Read what Dan Rockwell says on how to move your dreams to reality!

Originally posted on February 7, 2015 byDan Rockwell

TWELVE QUESTIONS THAT MOVE DREAMS TO REALITY

Meaningful success requires strategy.

Dreams are easy; strategy makes you sweat.

DREAMS WITHOUT STRATEGY ARE:

  1. Ships without rudders.
  2. Passions without direction.
  3. Excuses for stagnation.
  4. Comfort to irresponsible leaders.
  5. Hopes without substance. Rudy Giuliani said, “Hope is not a strategy.”

12 QUESTIONS THAT MOVE DREAMS TO REALITY:

  1. What business are we in?
  2. What business aren’t we in? “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” Michael Porter
  3. What does success look like?
  4. What do we aspire to achieve? “Sound strategy starts with the right goal.” Michael Porter
  5. Who are our current and potential customers? Drucker makes it clear, “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.”
  6. Who aren’t our customers? “You can’t be all things to all people.” Michael Porter
  7. How will we create new customers?
  8. How will we keep current customers?
  9. What are current strengths and capacities?
  10. What strengths and capacities must we develop?
  11. How will we monitor and measure success?
  12. What management systems best exploit and enhance our strengths and capacities.

OUTWARD:

Strategy always faces outward where results come from.

An inward facing strategy assures extinction.

FUTURE:

Strategy includes thinking about the future. But, effective strategy is always executed in the present.

“Long-range planning does not deal with the future decisions, but with the future of present decisions.” Peter Drucker

What are the essentials for developing effective strategy?