Banish Bland Language from Strategic Plans

 Fri 07 Feb 2014 

Banish Bland Language from Strategic Plans

Strategic plans are often filled with empty phrases like “Leverage Our World Class Operating Capabilities” or head-scratching aspirations like “Reshape Our Pricing and Trade Strategy to Effectively Drive Demand While Maintaining Market Access.” Language like this can signal that a team doesn’t have a clear idea of what they need to succeed ! 

 To counter this dynamic, the CEO of a large financial services firm banned her organization from using a list of words and phrases such as 

“leverage,” “synergy,” “disintermediation,” and “robust.” With the right leadership, a good strategic plan will deliver meaningful substance that can be translated into action.

Adapted from “Four Tips for Better Strategic Planning” by Ron Ashkenas and Logan Chandler.