Definition of Terms

Personal Strategy: A whole-of-life approach to identifying the strategic choices to get you from where you are today to where and who you want to be in the future.

Strategy Map: The ‘story’ of your strategy in a one-page cause-and-effect model identifying linkages and alignment between choices/priorities across different perspectives and clustered into vertical pillars in a strategic framework.

Priority/Statement of Intent/Objective: A concise statement (of up to 10-12 words) identifying what you intend to achieve as a priority, typically starting with a verb to indicate the extent of the shift or change required. This is an objective or goal, not an action or initiative/project/target.

Perspective: The horizontal grouping of objectives/priorities to create the cause-and-effect framework of the strategy map (based on the Kaplan Norton Balanced Scorecard methodology). The perspectives are: Aspirations, Priorities, Enablers, Values.

Pillar: A vertical subset of related priorities, an architecture to support the development of your Personal Strategy in the different aspects of your life and then manage the tensions and trade-offs between them that collectively deliver on the aspirations and purpose. The three pillars are: Self, Relationships and Work and Contribution.  

Definitions: Description of the intention or value statement, which provides a detailed definition of what it means as part of the strategy; it provides a richer context and tests its substance, rationale, and authenticity. The devil is often in the detail, and the strategy often resides in the definitions, so it’s an important activity. Don’t skip it!

Enabler: An objective statement which identifies what needs to be in place to enable the priorities in the theme, such as the right mindset, capacity, finance, emotional or physical support, environment, boundaries and supporters. The enabler might also include what needs to be in place to overcome detractors and blockers which would undermine progress.

3-6-9-12 Month Plan: Your living plan of how you will make your strategy happen.