Getting your marketing strategy right is crucial for the success of your overall marketing plan. However, strategy development is not a straightforward process and requires continuous evaluation. Whether you’re in the discovery or execution phase, your approach to the process greatly impacts your chances of success.
Collaboration plays a significant role in ensuring the success of a strategy. When more people are involved and invested in the results, the better the chances of achieving success. Here are four key areas that influence the role of collaboration in strategy development:
- Culture. It’s essential to foster a culture where team members from all departments feel empowered to contribute at all levels of the strategic plan. A collaborative culture doesn’t diminish anyone’s role; it strengthens them. When we embrace a collaborative culture, we recognize the equal weight we carry in the strategy being successful while fulfilling our distinct roles.
- Commitment. A collaborative approach may take longer and lead to more disagreements on the team, but it is crucial that the entire team remains committed to the process. Sometimes, it may be necessary to encourage some team members to participate more and ask others to be less critical of others’ opinions.
- Conviction vs. Concession. Collaboration thrives when team members understand when to stand their ground and when to let go. In a healthy collaborative environment, winning every argument is not the goal. If most team members agree on a particular point, it’s important for a dissenting colleague to be willing to concede. Conversely, holding strongly to an opinion should be celebrated and encouraged when there is no clear consensus. Whether it’s conviction or concession, the focus remains on winning as a team.
- Celebration. How you celebrate the success of a strategy is crucial for fostering collaboration. Avoid emphasizing individual achievements with “I” statements and instead prioritize giving credit to the team. Celebrating success collectively encourages a collaborative mindset and helps sustain the opportunity to succeed in future endeavors.
By prioritizing collaboration, nurturing a supportive culture, ensuring commitment, balancing conviction and concession, and celebrating as a team, you can enhance the effectiveness of your strategy development process.
