Strategic Business Planning Development Starts With Thinking Like the Viking Shipbuilders

Are you having challenges in developing your strategic plan? And worse yet, it fails to deliver the desired results. Then maybe it is time to take a lesson from history.

Sometimes past history provides us the opportunity to excel in the future as long as we are willing to open our minds to thinking differently. I realized this when doing some reading about Viking ships. (In full disclosure a first generation Swede, I have always been fascinated by the Vikings.)

Not only did those who built these sea-going vessels allowed for very shallow draft, but they also had the ability to navigate narrow waterways. The reason for this was the ingenious Viking shipbuilders constructed a ship that was uniform on both sides with removable mastheads along with having a side rudder. This flexibility allowed these adventuresome explorers to switch the front mast with the back one along with the rudder.

Those Viking of years gone by could very much be the executives who build today's strategic plans. What would happen if their efforts demonstrated such simplicity and flexibility while still yielding the desired results?

How many strategic plans fail in execution because of narrow thinking, of the inability to make quick course corrections because is imperative to get out of dangerous and treacherous waters?

Another interesting note about these historical people of long ago is replicating their workmanship has been very difficult. There were very few diagrams as these unique water-going vessels appeared to be constructed from memory. In other words, intellectual capital was valued and shared within the community.

Speaking of design, the clinker technique (lapping one board over another) was in sharp contrast to traditional designs where the inner skeleton for the hull was constructed first. One of the main reasons is that Vikings used an axe instead of a saw.

How many times have we heard that companies must think out of the box when putting together a formal written strategy? Yet how many actually take that instruction to heart? In many instances they use the same tools which direct their behaviors instead of changing tools as in the case of using a broad axe instead of a saw.

The final difference is that Vikings challenged the unknown by placing a dragon's head as the front mast. Mapmakers at that time would use a dragon near the end of the parchment to warn explorers of the unknown risks that may be residing outside of the known map knowledge. What happened is this warning sign turned into a self fulfilling prophecy where travelers failed to push forward due to the fear of the unknown.

How many executives and organizations have fears of pushing forward and take the easier route not challenging the unknown? Many of these fears are then embraced by others within the organization. Suddenly a cannot be done mentality takes over and no one is pushing the envelope to take the firm to that next level.

If your firm is considering strategic planning development, then look to the past and learn how you can build a better ship by thinking differently, using different tools and most importantly by challenging those fears that are keeping you from moving forward.

Considering engaging in strategic business planning development? Get this Free strategic plan checklist.

Are you Captain Wing It or Captain Focus It when it comes to your business behaviors. Learn how to work smarter not harder by having a simple written action plan.

Executive consultant and sales coach sales, Leanne Hoagland-Smith partners with innovative leaders who want to dramatically improve their teams' results. Call 219.759.5601 CDT USA to just have a conversation about the results you are seeking.