Strategy - Learning As You Go

The "Learning School" holds that organizational learning is how to keep strategy flexible and adaptive to rapidly changing environments.

"Walking the talk," I'm applying some practices of organizational learning to the sales microseminar series strarting on 3/11 (see www.effectivelearningforgrowth.com for details). Reflecting on what's been done before, challenging my assumptions about why and how, deliberately doing some things differently and watching for effect, cycling back through the reflective process.

(I'm noticing that organizational learning in an organization of one is, well, different, yet the same because it's quite practical.  At least, the discussions are shorter.)

Microseminars are one component of my marketing strategy, which is in turn one component of my own overall business strategy for Effective Learning for Growth.

The marketing strategy - how one attracts clients - may be the most essential part of any overall strategy, since no clients means no business. Even if every other part of the whole strategy works beautifully, if this part doesn't, it's "game over."

Challenging the why - these are primarily to help other entrepreneurs, who often struggle from not knowing how to sell. But they're also to showcase the content of sales training for potential corporate clients and individual coaching clients.  The why stands, but changes the how because the intended results from last year's sessions were less than anticipated.

Changing the how - Have marketed these through social media, primarily using Linked-In Chamber of Commerce and other groups.  This time, continuing what worked, but adding two elements: cold-calling businesses in Chambers, and (thanks to a great idea from Tom Majewsky) started a Meet-Up group, as well. Also adding in social media more actively.

Real-time strategy adjustment through reflection-in-action - how might it translate for larger organizations?