I’ve come to realize that I have an ability, and true enjoyment of strategic analysis and all that it encompasses. My Enneagram score was the same for Type 3 and Type 1, so I’m an Achiever and a Reformer (the Enneagram result print out listed Type 3 first, so there might be a slight edge to Type 3, the Achiever; you can look up Enneagram Types for more information). My Myers & Briggs type is ENTP. I’ve taken other personality tests, and they all describe the same characteristics about me. So, it’s no wonder that I enjoy identifying the possibilities hidden in data.
When I look at data, I don’t see a sea of numbers. Instead I see a story of macro trends, micro trends and the processes that deliver the story in numerical format. It’s a gift that I took for granted until I presented the results of data analysis and recommendations that I conducted to a client who told me it was the best they had ever received. They then told other people, eventually I heard it from three other people how pleased the client was with my analysis, recommendations and presentation of the deliverable.
Small anomalies portend bigger opportunities; in process improvement resulting in improved quality, more sales, higher profit margins, etc.; new product development to meet unmet market demand, compliment existing product offerings that cement client relationships and attract new customers. I have a gift of conceptualization and presenting data backed recommendations. My challenge was always implementation, moving from strategic to tactical
I ran U.S. Metals for nearly a decade. While I was there I learned a great technique that helped me move my strategy to tactical. I mapped the business processes of U.S. Metals using a combination of graphics and written documentation (I also used this as the basis of implementing Lean Management methodology). I then mapped my tactical plans that were based on strategies. I then identified where the two maps fit and combined the master map with the newly created map (keep in mind this is a compliment to not a substitution for critical analysis of priorities, goals and objectives).
