The Value Of A 1 Day Strategy Check-In

At Hedgehog we offer our 1 Day Strategy Check-in process for free.

Last week we held a 1 day strategy check-in with BikeZaar https://www.bikezaar.com an online marketplace retailing bikes and accessories looking to expand into other product categories.. Alyson and myself both attended the session with KevinGriffiths the Founder and CEO of BikeZaar.

We follow a 3-stage process adjusted to reflect each clients situation:

  • Use open questioning techniques and desk based research to establish the currentcompany position
  • Map this against the Hedgehog framework of Purpose, Ambition, Goals, Actions, Plan to understand alignment, gaps and inconsistencies
  • Provide a short written report that sets out our initial thinking and may includepotential options and next steps

For some companies this results in the need for further work but on other occasions the check-in in itself is enough and there is no further work required at this stage. For the BikeZaar the latter was true and for the time being we concluded with Kevin and the team that internally optimising the current opportunities was the correct way to proceed.

So was it a wasted day? For us? For Bikezaar and Kevin?

From our perspective we always learn a huge amount from these days. We get the opportunity to understand the market at the coalface and we get a chance to listen and hear others perspectives. Every session allows us to refine our process (we are learning every day) and if we can bring increased clarity for a CEO then we are satisfied we have done a good job. I’d be lying if I didn’t say we hoped there would be further work in the future but that’s not the primary or only point and I’d like to think we are always honest in our report and proposals.

But what about for BikeZaar and Kevin?

I asked Kevin this question directly and hopefully he told me the truth…..

“I’ll be honest Rod, I found it quite a tough day as it is only when you are questioned and challenged that you are forced to really look into what you have done and are planning to do. The truth is that prior to the session I was pretty fixed on what we should do next but it came with a nagging doubt that I had not validated my thoughts.

The Hedgehog process and the support from Alyson and yourself really forced me to question myself. My own personal reflection after the session and reading your written report led me to the conclusion that I was pushing ahead too quickly with new plans. For a variety of reasons it was clear I needed to focus my efforts on ensuring we capitalise on the peak winter ski season.

I was a little bit concerned that you guys might feel like it had been a wasted day but from a BikeZaar perspective it was the challenge we needed and I feel confident that we have taken the right course of action.

We will definitely look to catch-up during the latter part of the first quarter next year”

To answer Kevin directly, it was definitely not a wasted day and we loved the challenge of getting to understand BikeZaar to a greater degree.

We have agreed to stay in touch and I’m looking forward to seeing BikeZaar and SkiZaar (watch this space) perform really well during the Christmas trading period and the winter ski season”

Thanks for the opportunity and good luck Kevin.

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