THE STRATEGY DIAMOND

How Purposing, Positioning, Performing and aPPraising create

strategic clarity and impact

Strategy + Diamond

Strategy is the intent and requisite effort required for shaping the future of individuals and organizations

A diamond is a substance developed under heat and pressure and refined through a process that achieves clarity (design) and brilliance (cut).

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Strategy + Diamond

The four elements of the strategydiamond are mutually interactivewith each element shaping the others and fluid with each being refashioned over time and circumstances.The strategic aim is for the elements to be mutually supportive and continuously realigned – in reality, we would always expect some degree of disharmony and non-alignment.In organizations the disharmony/non-alignment can be amplified due to different people/groups being involved in different elements of the strategic diamond.

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Provides an answer to two key questions:◦ What do I/we want to

achieve (results and impact)?

◦ What do I/we want to be AND be known for (values and character?

PURPOSING – Establishing a clear, compelling, and competitive vision at individual, interpersonal AND/OR institutional levels

The 4 Points of the Strategy Diamond

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Organizations and individualspursue a variety of goals andvalues. This requires prioritizing and tradeoffs.

Goals and values may change over time. Goals and values become more substantive as

they are communicated with clarity and made compelling (meaningful) through rewards and celebrations.

Strategic purposing makes goals and values clear, near and dear.

About PurposingPURPO

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POSITIONING – Developing the pool of human, financial, production and servicing capabilities that will place the company or individual in a position to achieve its purposes in a challenging and competitive environment

Provides an answer to two key questions:◦ What do I/we need to

have or have access to achieve our/my desired goals and values?

◦ What is the gap between our/my present resource pool and our/my needed resource pool?

The 4 Points of the Strategy Diamond Pu

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Organizations and individualsneed a variety of resources inorder to achieve their desiredgoals and values.

Resources may be owned or accessed via “outside” connections.

In a competitive world it is necessary to recognize the resources competitors may have

Resources may be substantive (skill, machinery, cash) or subjective (reputation, brand, morale).

About Positioning Pu

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PERFORMING – Committing the time and talent needed to transform resources into results, and intentions into initiatives by making choices that demonstrate persistence, resilience and excellence

Provides an answer to two key questions:◦ What do I/we need to

do to achieve results consistent with our/my plans?

◦ What do we need to do to adapt to the unplanned and unexpected?

The 4 Points of the Strategy Diamond Pu

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Organizations and individualsneed to make choices, take actions and then resiliently respond to unexpected results.

Performance needs to be strategically mindful (what would success look like) and tactically opportunistic (given the realities we now face how do we maneuver effectively and efficiently).

Performance needs to be sustained over time and circumstances to achieve our goals and values.

About Performing Pu

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PERFORMING – Committing the time and talent needed to transform resources into results, and intentions into initiatives by making choices that demonstrate persistence, resilience and excellence

Provides an answer to two key questions:◦ What do I/we need to

do to achieve results consistent with our/my plans?

◦ What do we need to do to adapt to the unplanned and unexpected?

The 4 Points of the Strategy Diamond Pu

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PositioningPER

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aPPraising

Organizations and individualsneed a variety of resources inorder to achieve their desiredgoals and values.

Resources may be owned or accessed via “outside” connections.

In a competitive world it is necessary to recognize the resources competitors may have

Resources may be substantive (skill, machinery, cash) or subjective (reputation, brand, morale).

About Performing Pu

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aPPRAISNG– Committing the time and talent needed to transform resources into results, and intentions into initiatives by making choices that demonstrate persistence, resilience and excellence

Provides an answer to two key questions:◦ How can be best gather the

evidence that will allow us to honestly know the results we have achieved?

◦ How do we mindfully (thoughtfully and thoroughly) understand what has happened and why it happened?

The 4 Points of the Strategy Diamond Pu

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APPRAISING

Organizations and individualsare surprisingly resistant to honestly and constructively assessing and responding to actual results.

Strategic thinking seeks to identify WHAT happened, WHAT we can learn from those results, and which elements we need to change for future success: our purposing, our positioning and/or our performing.

About aPPRAISING Pu

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APPRAISING