It's so frustrating when you've got a problem you need to solve, and nothing's coming to you. No ideas that will help move things forward. Maybe you talk with others to try and gather perspectives. Or you dive into the Google rabbit hole to look at how others have solved the problem. But there's nothing. You want something new, something innovative. Not just the same old approach everyone else uses. But you've run dry. How can you get that spark of inspiration you need?

Here’s a line in a corporate strategy document from a multi-billion-dollar client I was working with a few years ago:

"We need to focus on better understanding the evolving needs of our current and future customers, and tailor solutions to meet those needs."

What the hell? Isn’t that what the company should do as just a basic, daily, operating principle? That’s not a strategy, it’s a proclamation.

Think back to when you were under the gun to come up with a ground-breaking idea or solution to a complex problem. How many of those instances produced something revolutionary? Likely very few.

However, too many companies expect employees to spend more time looking productive than being productive. So, with limited time, those appointed to develop a strategy often spend more time on business theater than on contemplating creative approaches to compete.

Leaders tend to strive for unanimous agreement – especially for large strategic decisions and situations where there’s a lot of uncertainty. If we have full commitment from our team, we must be making the right decision! Who wouldn’t want everyone to be on board?

But unanimous agreement doesn’t mean there’s true agreement, no matter how many head nods you get in your meeting.

Your sales are down. You need an influx of new customers. Great! Often the first step is segmenting your prospects into groups, whether by industry, product type, service type, or some other categorization. Then the marketing blitz begins. Maybe you create a special offer on a product. Or a discount for new customers. Or just put up some billboards to build general brand awareness. But the needle doesn't move that significantly. Why?

Every industry has shrinkage in its way. Those without inventory have shrinkage in the form of innovation atrophy. This occurs when an employee is asked for their ideas and input, and invests time and effort working through them, only to learn it’s all for naught.

Success is the result of choices -- choosing to do one thing over another. This means consciously not spending time, effort, or resources on certain things. A goal is simply a target. For example, say your goal is to double revenue growth in three years. Is that a clear goal? Will that goal create success? No, because there are no clear choices.

When strategy development is complete, most executives start the rollout process. But communicating the strategy isn’t activating the strategy. Activation requires establishing guidance on how to shed old mindsets and embrace new ways of thinking. This necessitates shifting from telling to illustrating.

As a marketing leader, you want your messaging to resonate with your audience, be memorable, increase awareness, and build brand recognition. But you can't approach your team with that abstract request. You also can't simply share your 140-page corporate strategy and assume they'll glean some magic out of it. Crafting effective messaging requires specificity.

I'm not one for big projects. Especially those that I dread. Cleaning out a closet that's been languishing overstuffed for too long. Or reorganizing a file cabinet. It sucks. So I don't. Whether at home or work, big projects don't have to be big. They can be small if you approach them right.