Once a top manager I know surprised me a lot. He said: “Can you teach me how to run a strategy session for a group of co-founders of a large business? I know you’ve been doing this for a long time, which means you have the tools.” My first impulse was to say no, since training is not my business. And my sessions are so specific that I still need to comprehend the experience for myself. But the top manager explained that the stakes were too high - his future career depended on the effectiveness of this event.
The situation was complicated by the fact that the participants were mature entrepreneurs, smart and cynical people used to tough negotiations (a feature of the industry). In addition, there were historical tensions between them. The cherry on the cake was that there was no tradition of such sessions at the shareholder level, that is, it was an experiment for everyone. My acquaintance could not refuse the offer, but could not vouch for the result either. Managing companies, of course, he organized meetings, trainings and brainstorming sessions more than once. But it is one thing to have your own employees and quite another thing to have unknown influential people who can either reward or upset the moderator.
Within two hours I had given him an extract of what I knew - the meaning of the session, the logic, structure, priorities and indicators of success, questions at each stage, ways to get to the truth, attitudes toward conflict, typical problems and how to solve them. Since the “student” trusted me and was motivated to learn, he absorbed every insight like a sponge. Because of the urgency, we did not have a chance to play out the situations in person, but otherwise I did my best. In the evening he happily reported: “Everything went according to plan. The shareholders are happy. I shined.” As expected, his career moved forward.
After such incidents, I wonder if there might be an unsatisfied demand for such knowledge. On the one hand, you just have to say: “Strategy Session” and there is an immediate line of moderators, coaches, and facilitators lined up. On the other hand, from communicating with the founders, it is clear that they do not see the benefit of typical strategy sessions and often perceive it as a necessary evil. The point is that if the moderator is a communicative charismatic and/or empathic person, it is quite easy to cheer the participants up in the short term or help them feel a sense of community. But how do you make a real shift in the group so that the systemic contradictions of the business weaken or even disappear, and the value of the business goes up? This is a conundrum that they don’t teach you to solve anywhere.
So I thought, if there are enough people willing, I would make a compact, practical course based on two decades of personal experience in group sessions as a CEO, shareholder, investor, and now business therapist.
Who will benefit from it:
founders, to boost the speed of change in the team and then in the business.
top managers, to reduce friction and conflicts in the team.
consultants and moderators, to increase the objective value of their services.
If you thought, “Cool! Where and when can I buy this product?”, drop me a line or two in an email or message about what you do and why it’s relevant to you.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
You can help Ukraine defend itself and the World from Russian aggression here.
”Who are you and what do you do?"
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
"I have an important business decision to make. Can you help me?
Reserve a time on my calendar that is convenient for you to meet with me. We'll clarify your request and discuss options for how you can help.