From the sales conversation to company leadership. Tailored development for teams and managers. Experience since 2001, multinational clients and a specialisation in pharmaceutical companies.
Leadership decisions shape direction
Strategy and Implementation Across Your Organisation
Your company plans to enter a new market, but the people expected to lead the expansion are already managing ongoing projects. Moving ahead therefore means agreeing on priorities. At ED Development, our business strategy and implementation work helps leadership teams set direction and make decisions that managers can put into practice with their teams.
Business direction and priorities
What is business strategy?
Business strategy defines where a company aims to succeed and where it will focus its resources. It links that direction to decisions about how the business will develop.
As part of our company management work, we help leadership teams shape corporate and commercial strategy and translate it into team objectives. Our consultations and workshops bring together an understanding of the market and your company’s capabilities.
These discussions should lead to decisions on priorities, responsibilities and next steps.
What we work on
What we address when developing your business strategy
We clarify the decisions that will shape your company’s future development. We draw on the information and experience of senior leaders and the managers responsible for implementation.
-
Strategic priorities
Strategic priorities and direction
We clarify which initiatives support the company’s direction and which senior leaders will prioritise. We assess how these initiatives relate to one another and the demands they place on people. Together, we also decide which activities to defer or reconsider.
-
Commercial direction
Commercial direction and customer value
We examine your target customers, portfolio and competitive environment. We clarify the value you offer customers and the capabilities your company needs to deliver it. We bring together the perspectives of sales, marketing and senior leadership.
-
Objectives and responsibilities
Team objectives and responsibilities
We translate strategic priorities into objectives for each business area. We agree who is responsible for results, who they need to work with and what decisions they need from senior leaders. We set milestones and agree how progress will be reviewed.
-
Implementation risks
Implementation risks and requirements
We identify the assumptions behind each initiative and the circumstances that could put it at risk. We consider available capacity, the competencies needed and how teams will need to work together. Senior leaders clarify what needs to be in place before moving to the next step.
Common strategy challenges
When your business strategy needs a clearer focus
A new business decision or a recurring gap between leadership plans and what teams do in practice can signal a need to clarify your strategy.
- The management team agrees on growth, but its members favour different routes.
- New projects compete for the same people, slowing one another down.
- Your company is changing its portfolio or entering a market with a different customer base.
- Corporate strategy needs to be translated into specific decisions for the local market.
- Departments deliver on their own plans, but shared priorities remain unaddressed.
- Sales and marketing have different views of the value your offer brings to customers.
- There are no agreed responsibilities or milestones for implementing strategic decisions.
- Market conditions have changed, but the company continues to rely on its original assumptions.
How we work
How we work with you on business strategy
We tailor our approach to whether you need to create a strategy, refine it or support its implementation across your teams.
-
Clarifying the brief and starting point
We clarify which decisions need to be made, what information is available and what obstacles you currently face. We identify the capabilities needed for implementation. Training needs analysis can complement this work.
-
Working through strategic decisions
Through consultations and workshops, we explore the different perspectives within the leadership team. We clarify priorities, test assumptions and identify decisions still to be made. We link what has been agreed to a specific objective and the conditions needed to achieve it.
-
Putting priorities into practice across teams
We involve the managers responsible for implementation. Together, we turn priorities into tasks, responsibilities and initial steps. We clarify dependencies between departments and the support managers will need from senior leaders.
-
Reviewing progress and informing further decisions
At agreed review points, we assess progress against milestones, examine obstacles and check whether the original assumptions still hold. This gives senior leaders a basis for deciding whether to continue, adjust the approach or reconsider a priority. We agree the scope of any follow-up support in line with the brief.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- since1993Management experience
- 25+Years of business development
- 60+Multinational clients
Didn’t find your answer?Elena Demeková, CEO and Senior Consultant
What should a business strategy include?
It should explain where the company aims to succeed, who it creates value for and what will set it apart. It should identify its priorities and the capabilities needed to put them into practice. The importance of these choices is explained in Harvard Business School’s overview of strategic positioning. At ED Development, we then work through what those decisions mean for senior leaders and individual teams.
What is the difference between a strategy and a strategic plan?
Strategy defines the company’s direction and key choices. A strategic plan sets out how to put those choices into practice through objectives, responsibilities and a sequence of actions. For example, expanding within a particular customer segment first requires a decision about the value the company will offer. The team’s specific activities can then be planned. We check whether your plan reflects the chosen strategic direction.
What happens in a leadership strategy workshop?
Before the workshop, we clarify the brief and the information needed. Participants include the people authorised to decide on priorities and implementation. During the session, we compare perspectives, examine the reasoning behind proposals and reach agreements. We shape the output around the brief, such as clarifying strategic direction or responsibilities. We agree the number of sessions and any follow-up support according to the scope of the decisions involved.
How do you put business strategy into everyday practice?
Start by identifying what needs to change in how teams make decisions and work together. Assign responsibility and agree the first steps for each priority. We also draw on Elena Demeková’s experience of strategic transformation and restructuring projects for FRESENIUS KABI in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Where implementation requires changes to working practices, change management can provide further support.
Can you work with our existing corporate strategy?
Yes. The brief can build on your approved corporate strategy and focus on its implementation in the local market. With managers, we clarify what it means for customers, the portfolio and collaboration between teams. We distinguish between decisions that can be made locally and issues that need to be discussed with head office. We use this to plan the next steps.
How often should a business strategy be updated?
Agree review dates based on the nature of your strategic aims and changes in the market. Significant changes in customer needs or company capabilities also call for a review of the original assumptions. Ongoing evaluation is discussed in HBS Online’s guidance on evaluating strategic plans. Work on team objectives and performance can continue through performance management.
