Strategy, if done right, is not just about having big dreams, it's about connecting those dreams to the ground beneath your feet. At Ecostacs Consulting, we’ve read enough glossy plans to know when a document is all vibes and no vision. You know the type, 80 pages deep, full of buzzwords, but with zero clarity on who’s doing what, when, and why. That’s why we root our approach in globally respected strategy frameworks, then give them a distinctly Kenyan twist.
Take Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt. Rumelt says a plan isn’t a strategy if it doesn’t start by identifying the real problem. At Ecostacs, that’s always step one. We help our clients look beyond symptoms, like ‘poor performance’ or ‘market share erosion’, and unearth the root issues. Whether it’s a SACCO struggling with member apathy or a regulator dealing with fintech disruption, we guide teams to name the real enemy. After all, you can't fix what you haven't framed.
From there, we don’t just dump action plans. We co-create what Rumelt calls a guiding policy, a clear strategic direction that aligns people, not just papers. Our toolkit borrows from the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX): focus on the wildly important, act on lead measures, keep a compelling scoreboard, and create a rhythm of accountability. This isn’t motivational poster material, we embed these tools with clients so that strategy isn’t an annual event, it’s a weekly habit.
Blue Ocean Strategy? That’s our go-to when clients are stuck competing on price, perks, or who has the better website. In Kenya’s crowded SACCO and banking sectors, or even in devolved government units, we help leaders swim away from the bloody shark-infested red ocean and into calmer blue waters. Our workshops often feature the Strategy Canvas, a simple but powerful way to visualize what really sets you apart (hint: it’s not always “customer service”).
And then there’s The Art of the Long View. It’s not just a poetic title, it’s a practice. We use scenario planning to help our clients prepare for what could go right, wrong, or sideways. This was especially critical during COVID-19 and is even more relevant now, with shifting regulations, elections, and global economic winds affecting local institutions.
We also lean on Playing to Win to challenge our clients: Where will you play? How will you win? What capabilities must you build? Strategic choices are never easy, but without them, you’re just chasing every shiny object, or as we say here, kukimbiza kila kelele kama kuku bila kichwa (headless chicken).
Finally, we implement with discipline. Measure What Matters helps us develop OKRs, Objectives and Key Results, that actually cascade through departments. Because let’s be honest: if your strategy is only known by the CEO and the consultants, then it’s not a strategy, it’s a secret.
The outcome? Our strategic plans don’t live in drawers. They guide real decisions. They get discussed in staff meetings, tracked on dashboards, and adapted when the world shifts. Clients trust us because we don’t just write “The Plan”, we walk with you in making it work.
Tired of strategic plans that sound great but go nowhere? Let’s build something that moves your organization forward, not just on paper, but in action.
Visit our Strategic Planning service or schedule a free, no-pressure consultation at www.ecostacs.com.
From Insight to Execution
Of course, a great strategy on paper means little if it never leaves the document. In Part 2 of this series, we’ll tackle the next big challenge: execution. How do you make strategy stick? How do you embed it into your daily operations, budgets, and team culture, even when the excitement of the retreat has faded and real-world constraints kick in? At Ecostacs, we don’t just hand over a plan, we walk the journey of implementation. Stay tuned for practical, Kenya-tested methods to turn your strategy into sustained, measurable action.
