The purpose of a strategy is to enable anticipatory, creative adaptation to massive external influences. A guided approach and the use of AI tools enable high speed and efficiency here.
RAPID RESPONSE TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS
The trade war announced and started by Trump can rightly be seen as such a massive external influence. In addition to the far-reaching geopolitical intentions of the USA, this is just the beginning of further tariff increases and pressure scenarios towards trading partners, including the European Union.
This is a “critical incident” for many companies: the situation that has arisen acutely calls into question existing business models, developed sales markets and long-term strategies. In Germany and Europe, many SMEs are now fundamentally challenged in their strategy and change management expertise. This involves short-term operational reactions and at the same time the adaptation of medium and long-term strategies.
Under no circumstances should there be a head-in-the-sand attitude. We must accept the new reality that is emerging and draw our conclusions from it as a company. Agility is needed now.
IRIS: IMPACT RESPONSE & INNOVATION STRATEGY TEAM
This is why managers in particular should pool all their expertise in an IRIS retreat and develop a strategy plan and implementation procedure at short notice. In a structured format, they work together on the key dimensions in which their company is required to respond. During this time in retreat, they hand over full responsibility for the operational business to their employees.
Here we present the key questions and the rough procedure for the IRIS retreat in two variants and show you how you can structure this joint work with IRIS.
GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR A FLEXIBLE RESPONSE
- What impact does the current economic development have on our short-term corporate planning? (finances, customers, suppliers, supply chain, product development, IT/AI, personnel ...)
- What do we need to respond to with the highest priority?
- Which strategic/long-term goals do we retain?
- Which strategic/long-term goals do we need to adjust?
- How will we finance ourselves sustainably? (Short-term, long-term)
- Which product, market and sales strategy will we choose?
- What organizational and HR strategies will we use to respond to the situation?
- What is our future IT and digitalization strategy? (How can we make ourselves independent of external/US/Chinese service providers when it comes to digitalization?)
PREPARATION
Each manager / area manager answers the key questions in advance together with the most important know-how carriers in their area. (Duration: 1 day)
In addition, the entire workforce in each division is informed about the planned IRIS strategy work.
FORMAT OF THE IRIS EXECUTIVE STRATEGY SESSION
- Face-to-face workshop with a maximum of 20 people
- Each manager can use their laptop to access relevant data from their area online during the workshop
- In the workshop, AI tools such as Co-Pilot, GoogleLLM etc. are used to obtain relevant background information, develop scenarios if necessary and document the most important contributions and interim results and prepare them immediately for communication. Reactions from the workforce can also be quickly collected and evaluated in this way
OPTION 1: FOR EXPERIENCED COMPANIES IN STRATEGIC PROCESSES
Duration: 2.5 days
Answering the blocks (questions 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, 7 & 8) requires half a day each to be adopted with strong consensus
Buffer: half a day
OPTION 2: FOR COMPANIES WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN STRATEGIC PROCESSES
Duration: 4.5 days
Each key question is worked on intensively in half a day until a strong consensus is reached
Buffer: Half a day
INVOLVEMENT OF THE WORKFORCE
Daily online updates from the management team on (interim) results to the entire workforce
Online reactions are possible and are evaluated by 9 a.m. the following day at the latest
CHANGE MANAGEMENT: SUSTAINABLE IMPLEMENTATION
In the following week, the managers explain the results of the IRIS Strategy Week in person in their departments.
Subsequently:
- ... the managers discuss the necessary options for action resulting from the strategic decisions and draw up the intervention plan (factual and relationship level!).
- ... all managers coordinate the operational cross-links together.
- ... adopt the agreed measures in a comprehensive and binding manner. All key decisions are documented in a one-pager accessible to the workforce and are used for permanent monitoring.
CONCLUSION: REACT QUICKLY, ACT STRATEGICALLY
Adaptation must be well-founded and yet fast. It requires a willingness to relentlessly analyze and perhaps even radically adapt. The next few months will not be about organizing a national horticultural show for the Shire, but about the fight against Mordor (which of course does not mean the USA, but the “critical incident”).
