Strategic Planning the Dungy Way: Do What You Do!

The NFL regular season is over, and several teams, including my Indianapolis Colts, are looking for new head coaches.  The beginning of the year is also when companies start to execute on their 2023 strategic plan.  In his best-selling book, “Quiet Strength”, Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, outlined the list of goals he used for every one of his training camps: 

• Top 5 in the NFL in giveaway/takeaway ratio
• Top 5 in the NFL in fewest penalties
• Top 5 in overall special teams
• Make big plays
• Don’t give up big plays

 He also communicated the team expectations: 

• Be a pro.
• Act like a champion.
• Respond to adversity; don’t react.
• Be on time.  Being late means either it’s not important to you or you cannot be relied upon.
• Execute.  Do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it.   Not almost.  All the way.  Not most of the time.  All the time.
• Take ownership.
• Do whatever it takes. 
• No excuses, no explanations.

 After the Colts lost to the Jets 41 - 0 in the 2002 playoffs, Dungy did not waiver from those goals and values.  He told his team “Be patient, keep doing the ordinary things better than anyone else.  Be uncommon.  Do what we do.”  Sticking to those values and goals resulted in the Colts winning the 2007 Super Bowl and Dungy's teams making the playoffs for nine consecutive years.  An achievement only matched by Hall of Famer, Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys.  

Do you have a strategic plan for 2023 that will help you achieve a consistent high level of performance like Dungy’s teams?  Many trucking companies will not invest the time to formalize a strategic plan because they believe that setting strategy is complicated or can only be done by consultants.  As you can see from Tony Dungy’s strategic plan, it doesn’t have to be complicated.  Keep it simple; just “Do What You Do”.

Jim Collins, author of best-selling books like “Good to Great” and “Built to Last”, believes strategy is simply the basic methodology a company intends to apply to attain its current mission.  He outlines four key principles in setting company strategy:

•  It must descend directly from the company’s vision.  You cannot set strategy if you do not have a clear mission, purpose, core values and beliefs.  Vision first, then strategy! 
• The strategy must leverage the strengths and unique capabilities of your company.  This involves a clear assessment of your company's strengths and weaknesses.  Ask your management team, “What are we better at than anyone else that gives us a competitive advantage?” 
• The strategy must be realistic.  It must consider internal constraints and external factors such as your competitors and customers and the economic and regulatory environment.
•  Strategy should be set with the participation of those who are going to be on the line to make it happen.  Once the strategy is set, specific accountable actions steps will be established.  (Who does what, by when and how) 

Dungy’s coaching philosophy was influenced by one of the best, Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who said “Champions are Champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do the ordinary things better than anyone else.” 

Need Help developing Your Strategic Plan?   Contact Tim Almack, Certified Scaling Up Coach at talmack@95to88.com

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