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Strategic thinking with Rudyard Kipling

It's been suggested that once a week, I re-publish one of my earlier posts.  I decided to start with this one.  I hope you like it.

Flashback: First published 22 January 2008 

Strategic thinking shouldn’t be complicated. When I run strategy sessions, I often start with a well-known quote from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories for Little Children (The Elephant’s Child):

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
You need simple answers to questions like this for customers, staff, business partners and investors:
  • What is your market offer?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • Why are you making that particular offer, why that audience, and why will they accept it?
  • How will you make your offer and how will you fulfill it?
  • Where will you make your offer and where will you fulfill it?
  • When will you make your offer and when will you fulfill it?
Actually, my serving men all share an apprentice, but I’ll introduce Master Not later.