Getting the Timing Right

So your relatively simple idea may take 18 months or more to execute

Big changes take time, so it is vital to consider timescales in your strategic planning. For example, you may decide to merge with a competitor because they have good sales in territories that complement your own. Strategically this makes sense. However, it may take months of negotiation to agree the merger, another few months to conclude the legal and financial aspects of the deal, and even longer to merge the systems and staff of the two organizations.

So your relatively simple idea may take 18 months or more to execute -- great if you have that amount of time available, but if your need is to generate additional sales in the current financial year you will need to look for an alternative approach

ACTION POINT: Understand the time required to execute big changes.