REPLY Society Strategy Development (SD7098)

[SDMAIL Bill Harris]

Posted by  Bill Harris <bill_harris at facilitatedsystems.com>

"SDMAIL Kim Warren" <Kim at strategydynamics.com> writes:

> > I have used force-field analysis for many years, and it certainly has a
> > role to play. However, that role comes later - we need an idea where we
> > want to get to, before we tackle the difficulties that may make it hard
> > to get there [e.g. if 'getting SD into schools' is not on our objectives
> > - hypothetically - then overcoming resistance from education policy
> > makers is not a resistance we need to tackle]. 

One of the factors I've learned as important in strategy setting is to
understand a bit about one's customers (clients) and what they want.  I
don't think I've noticed that in this discussion.

Of course, there's a bit of a hang-up: we are, to a degree, in
competetion with each other, so we're not likely to say, "Well, ABC
Inc., my customer, really wants XYZ" because there's little in it for
any of us to say that.

There's another hang-up: we probably learn best about customers by
listening to their version, not by us saying what we think they want
(or, worse, by us saying what we think they need).  That's even harder:
few of us are likely to bring our customers onto this list, and few
unattached prospects are likely to walk into this group.

Would it be reasonable and useful for us to find quotations from the
news that highlight what customers are saying they want?  Is there a
better way to build such a body of insight that would then support
strategy development?  

After all, if strategy includes the allocation of resources to achieve
competitive goals, there's little point in allocating resources to a
part of the landscape where no customers exist (or care).  Put another
way, we might find we prefer a strategy that puts us where we're in
demand more than one that puts us where we're ignored.

Just curious,

Bill
- -- 
Bill Harris 
Posted by  Bill Harris <bill_harris at facilitatedsystems.com>
posting date  Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:23:34 -0700