Strategy Myths

These reasons are:

• First of all, we are afraid that strategy development takes a lot of time.
• Second, we are afraid that a strategy will limit what we are allowed to do.
• Third, we are afraid that you need special expertise to make a strategy (and also to understand it!)

As a part of our public relations makeover, it is vitally important to dispel these strategy myths.

Why do we think that strategy takes so much time?

Probably because in the past we were forced to take part in endless strategy discussions that didn't lead to any concrete changes whatsoever. Unfortunately, this is very common. Organisations don't always know how to manage the strategy development process.

It is true that developing a strategy takes time. There is just no getting around it. If you are a big multinational company, your strategy development might even take a couple of years to complete. Luckily, most of us are not big multinationals and our strategy does not need to be so complex. Depending on your situation, it is possible to put together a good solid strategy in a matter of months, possibly even weeks. More importantly, this investment of your time should not feel like a punishment. As you move through your strategy development step by step, you will probably start to feel challenged in a positive way. Your strategy development process should start to clarify many vague points and to answer many outstanding questions. If you could come away from your strategy development with a new energy and enthusiasm and with a clear idea what you are working for, wouldn't that be a fantastic use of time (and money)?

Another misconception about strategy-making is that something over and above our daily tasks. If your reaction to the idea of developing a strategy is "Oh great, one more thing I have to do", it is no surprise that you resist devoting time to it. Strategy-making should not be seen as an additional task, it should be seen as an integral part of the daily work of the organisation. Spending three solid days bashing out a strategy once a year is far less effective than devoting a quick 20-minute strategy check-in session during each weekly staff meeting.

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Why do we think that a strategy will limit us?

Nobody likes to feel restricted or controlled, certainly not by something as trivial as a plan on paper. The non-formal youth sector attracts many people because of its energy, its creativity and its lack of hierarchical structures. It is no surprise, then, that workers in this sector resist the idea of having to conform to regimented systematic plans. One common false presumption in strategy-making is the idea that you are going to be tied to a fixed plan for a long period of time. That's a great way to de-motivate people!

We can change our attitude to strategy if we change our perception. Think of a strategy the same way as you would think of a household budget. We use budgets to keep track of our money, to make sure that the most important costs are paid every month, to know how much we have to "play" with, and to be sure that we do not overspend. If we do not follow our budget, we could get into serious trouble. While some people might see budgets as being restrictive, there are many more advantages than disadvantages to having one (and to sticking to one). A strategy is no different. A strategy clarifies what our top priorities are. It makes sure that we keep to our course and do not get easily diverted towards lesser priorities. A strategy helps us make choices and by doing so it saves us time and money.

Now if your salary was increased, wouldn't you automatically take another look at your budget? Of course you would - you would want to see where you can make changes and how much money you can now use for "playing". On the other hand, if your salary decreases, you have to look at your budget to see where you need to make cuts. A budget is not permanent and neither is a strategy. Both a budget and a strategy provide an outline but they are never fixed in stone. A good strategy is made up of a plan solid enough to stand up over the long term (despite changes in our environment) but which is also flexible enough to adapt to new situations when necessary. In this sense, a strategy is not a restriction but is rather a guideline. It is the compass that helps keep you going in the right direction. Most importantly, and just like a budget, a strategy helps you know when to say "no".

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Why do we think strategy is only for experts?

Go to your local bookstore and check out the books on strategy. First of all, most strategy books are found in the business section - not normally the place where non-formal youth workers spend a lot of their time. You may find yourself staring at massive volumes filled with page after page of words and concepts which are difficult to understand.

A lot of these words deal with the world of big business and don't seem to relate at all to non-profit or non-governmental organisations. No wonder then that so many of us don't feel we have the knowledge to develop our own strategies!

There are a lot of experts who devote their life to examining every miniscule detail of strategy development and spend years writing books about it. Frankly, a lot of this information is too detailed and too specific for our purposes, especially if you are making a strategy for the very first time. You don't have to have a Ph.D. in business studies to give strategy-making a try. Strategy-making consists of gathering information, understanding that information and using the information to make choices. If you can do that, you are already well on your way.

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But do I really need a strategy?

Most people agree that having a strategy is a pretty good idea, but this does not mean that they rush to their desks to sit down and make one. It is quite natural, particularly for people in the non-formal sector, to be sceptical about strategy development. Many organisations and institutes function quite nicely without any kind of strategy (or at least it looks that way!) With so little time and resources available, developing strategy can seem like an unaffordable luxury.

For Inclusion Officers, the idea of making a strategy can be particularly hard to swallow. Depending on the target group Inclusion Officers work with, being asked to make a strategy can feel like being asked to predict the unpredictable and to manage the unmanageable. So how do you know if you or your inclusion work really needs a strategy?

Every organisation or institution needs to plan for the future, particularly those structures working with extremely difficult target groups and/or severely limited budgets, but the fact is that very few take the time to do it. The following list of warning signs can help indicate if you are in need of a (new) strategy (Olsen):

• Someone asks you what your NA plans to achieve in the coming year concerning inclusion and you don't have an answer. You ask your colleagues the same question and they all give totally different answers.
• You have a vague idea what you would like to do in the coming year but you have no idea how you will do it.
• Everything on your to-do list is a top-level priority. You don't know where you should best invest your time.
• You don't have a clear idea of which organisations/institutions are your partners and which are your competitors. When project promoters ask you what is the added value of your activities, you don't have a good response.
• You are presented with a new opportunity (e.g. a new activity, a new funding line, a new partner, etc.) and you don't know how to decide whether it is something you should pursue. You normally pursue every new opportunity for fear that you will miss out on something big.

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As an Inclusion Officer you should also be on the look-out for these warning signs:

• There are inconsistencies in your information on inclusion (printed materials, website, etc.) You can't understand the content and neither can anyone else. Whenever you try to explain your inclusion plans to colleagues or external partners you tell a different story.
• Your inclusion plans for the coming year are defined by one or two persons in your office. External partners and young people themselves play no part in the process.
• You ask your colleagues what "success" in your inclusion work should look like and they find it difficult to answer.
• You are asked why you work in the inclusion field and your only answer is "because it's my job".

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, the time is ripe for you to take a step back to focus on what you are doing and why you are doing it. A strategy can help you in this process because it acts as a general guideline which defines the direction you want to go and helps you avoid distractions along the way.

At this point it is important to stress that a strategy is not a magic charm. Always bear in mind that strategy-making is not a case of finding the solution to the problem, but rather it involves finding a solution to the problem - a solution which you think is both realistic and appealing. Just as with any tool or method, it is up to you to shape a strategy which is appropriate for you, your situation and your organisation.

A Strategy is ...

Strategy is not...	Strategy is...
Reacting to a situation An all-encompassing plan Linear A restriction An additional task Fixed A way to control the future The solution to a problem	Steering the situation A statement of your intent Cyclical A guideline and a compass An integral part of your daily work Always evolving A way to prepare for the future The activity of finding a solution

How should an organisation go about making a strategy? Who needs to be involved? What specific aspects need to be thought about if you are focusing on inclusion? The section "Making an inclusion strategy" will address these points and outline what specific steps need to be taken in each of the four phases.

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