THE URGENCY OF STRATEGY In todays business world, strategy is one of the most talked about word.

We talk of business strategy, marketing strategy, investment strategy etc. In everyday, life strategy is also a household name. People have talked so much about strategy that they have come to believe that they know everything about strategy. You would however be lucky to find someone who can explain what strategy is. To reflect on this critical issues let us review these two quotes. "Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you reach your destiny." -Carl Schurz "Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbour he is making for, no wind is the right wind." -Seneca (4 B.C. - 65 A.D. You will notice key phrases namely; ideals (vision), destiny (desired situation), plans and aim (objectives). Simply put, strategy is a commitment to pursue certain courses of action in order to achieve ones vision. The strategy crafting process constitutes certain critical components which are vision, mission, objectives, plans, policies, strategies and evaluation mechanism. The best way to understand the issue of strategy is to think of a journey. A journey will have a destination which we refer to as the vision, the mission is method to use during the journey e.g. road, air, rail, walking, horse etc, a plan is the map, policies are the directions e.g. you can be directed to be extra careful at certain point of the journey due to various dangers such as wild animals, objectives are the checkpoints. With these you can start your journey but there is one thing that would still be lacking and that is the route which we can liken to strategy. Try to imagine of a journey where one of these components is missing. Would the person reach the destination? In more familiar terms, a strategy can be viewed as blueprint or a master plan. Who needs strategy? Strategy is needed by everybody who has not reached the ideal situation they earnestly desire in life. If there is a disparity between where you are and where you want to be, you are facing a strategic gap and you badly and urgently need strategy. The following are some of the reasons why strategy is needed urgently. 1. Strategy clarifies destiny When you craft a strategy it helps you to come up with a vision. The vision is a clear view of your destiny. When your destiny is clear you can avoid the limitation of imitations i.e. pursuing other peoples destiny while confusing it to be yours. A dream without strategy is like a destination without direction. Without strategy you are likely to confuse parking lots for destination and diversions for the route. Many people in life confuse battles for the war. At the end of the day, you win the battles and lose the war. A life without a strategy is a tragedy since it is like a journey to nowhere. People without strategy confuse lifes temporary success with the ultimate success. Success quickly gets into their head, blurs their vision and cancels their destiny. People without strategy are petty. They derive satisfaction from sideshows. They react favourably to euphoria and are easily excitable. The clarity of destiny will increase the chances of its realization; a blurred destiny will be blocked. 2. Strategy defines our mission: the essence of our existence

When a man has a mission he is unstoppable, when he has no mission he can stop anywhere and stand in awe assuming to have arrived. We urgently need to know what our purpose in life is. People without strategy compete against others; those with strategy compete against themselves. It is only when you compete against yourself that you can achieve your full potential. 3. Strategy provides passion for action When you have a clear destiny you have more motivation to walk towards it. Strategy is the force that provides the momentum to takeoff from the runway to the air as you fly to your destiny. Many people claim that Kenya is a land full of potential. In the same breath, they wonder why we are not taking off. Potential without strategy is no less than idle capacity. It is strategy that moves a man from resources to results. On our walk to the top, the valleys are deep, the climb is steep and the energy is insufficient, it is only strategy which can provide the energy, urgency and focus required to make it to the top. It is strategy that moves one from intent to commitment; from the beauty and comfort of dreams to the struggle of action. To paraphrase some recent quote on a TV station; every day I wake up and check if my name is on the Forbes list of the richest people, if it is not there, I get out and go to work. 4. Strategy helps us enjoy the wonder of order When a man has strategy, he knows where to go, how to get there, when he gets there and what to do when he gets there. On the contrary, a life without a strategy is tragic theatre of confusion. It is a classical game of musical chairs. A person without a strategy can be likened to an actor on stage without a script. Each act leaves the audience more confused than the previous one and they await the next with great tension. A strategy will help you to lead an orderly life and prevent you from chaos which curtails a mans vision. 5. Strategy helps in optimal allocation of provision People say that for every vision God provides a vision. If one mismanages the provision they starve the mission and miss the vision. A traveller without a strategy will misuse his fuel in sightseeing and sideshows. At the end, he will be adjudged as time barred and his mission will be declared impossible. With a strategy you can make the best out of the resources you have. Ensure every resource is utilized in support of the vision. It is not the abundance of resources that separates the rich from the poor but the management of those resources. 6. Strategy destroys the attraction of distraction Many people know their destiny e.g. to become a millionaire by the age of 30. However, lack of focus neutralizes their efforts. They leave the route and go to wander in the bushes. Needless to say, they succumb to the dangers in the bush, waste resources and forfeit the destiny. When a man knows where he is going and is determined, even the elegance and the wonders of the Masai Mara cant be enough to distract him. Strategy limits limitations, challenges the challenges, secures hope and eventually embraces success. A man with a strategy can get lost but he will surely recover; a man without strategy if he gets lost will be lost forever. It is lack of strategy that makes men to spread themselves too thin to make an impact. When the heat from the sun is focused using a lens it can start a fire, when it is scattered all over it diminishes in impact. A mans scattered efforts will shatter his dreams and scuttle his destiny. 7. Finally: Strategy separates the best from the rest You need to reach your destiny within the budget and on time. With strategy you will reach your destiny and leave others wondering what the secret behind your success is. Strategy will

give you a sustainable competitive advantage; assuring you a place at the top as well as the capacity to remain there. Strategy is what separates the many dream scattered in graves from the ones standing on podiums amidst victory dance. The story of victory will always be a reserve for the strategist. Life is not about doing great things it is about doing small things in a great way. Strategy is a key essential of potential, without it, even the most endowed will fail. Life is full of bright chaps who never made it, top athletes who never run the course, brilliant scholars who never wrote a book and presidents who died while shining shoes for lesser mortals. After all has been said and done, it is all about strategy and the man with the best strategy will carry the day as the rest watch in awe, regret and confusion. Come alive to the urgency of strategy and craft one immediately, else be prepared to forever marvel at the success of others.
Contributed by Ephraim Njega Chairman, Kenya Association of Young Entrepreneurs kenyaye@yahoo.com www.kayekenya.com