These were just some of the questions addressed in today’s Strategy Tools Global Coach Live Digital Workshop. Over the past 18 months, the Global Coach community has been growing, counting more than 250 Global Strategy Coaches, from Brazil to the Emirates.

Ranging from senior strategy consultants, innovation consultants, internal VP Strategy, entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, design thinkers, business school faculty and innovation managers, the community is united in evolving and shaping the future of strategy.

In the last months, many of them have gone through digital training programs, advanced-level Master Trainer Programs and online strategy simulation certifications to upgrade their skills and expand their strategy toolbox.

With over 120 visual strategy canvases available on the Strategy Tools Platform (40+ are currently available open source on the public Strategy Tools Site), there is an extensive development work, action learning and constant iteration going on to shape a better toolkit for strategists and consultants around the world.

From Startup Ecosystems in Latin America, Innovation Superclusters in Europe and crafting new transformational strategies in Asia, the tools and concepts are helping consulting leaders and business advisors create significant impact around the world.

Even more importantly, the community is growing and developing, led by thinkers like Javier Sevilla, founder of Novarek in Mexico, currently building out a community-based case database for anyone to use in their own work.

Dennis (South Africa), Allan (Canada) and Johnathan (SE Asia) discussing contributions to the global community.

In today’s session, the first of a new format of monthly live digital workshops (think, meetups, just more work, new tools and new case studies), 28 Global Coaches connected to collaborate. From Australia to Brazil, Canada to Malaysia, a new generation of strategy practitioners got a chance to work on emerging strategy challenges and get hands-on with brand new tools – developed as a direct response to corporate and government challenges in the face of COVID-19.

Scott (Italy), Tiago (Brazil), Nicola (Australia) and Ozioma (Portugal) collaborating on the Scenarios Map, crafting three scenarios for the next phase of ‘in-COVID-strategy’ and what it might mean to them.

Three things are abundantly clear after today’s session.

I. Nobody is returning back to ‘normal’ anytime soon. Consultants, faculty and advisors are not getting on planes any time soon, possibly not even well into 2021. So the idea of flying again in August is just not happening.

II. Blended programs are here to stay – we all just need to learn faster to master them. The idea of going back to ‘in person workshop only’ is not happening anytime soon. For 90% of the participants, that means having to relearn new tools, new ways of serving clients and new ways of designing strategy- and innovation programs. These will all have to be blended, with a minimum face to face, and maximum impact on the digital delivery.

Gone are the days of 4-hour Teams meetings or 8-hour Zoom sessions (thankfully). Today, consultants are learning to design and deliver high-impact, short-sessions, highly interactive, built completely on a digital platform. (in the next session, August 4th we will share how we work with globally leading accelerators to design and deliver a brand new category of digital accelerator programs, using the Strategy Tools Platform)

III. Few companies are truly prepared by aligning board, management and key stakeholders on multiple, challenging scenarios. The coming months are going to be tough. They are going to be uncertain and – for most companies – they are going to require a new set of strategic initiatives. In today’s session, seven break out groups worked on designing multiple scenarios for the coming period – while also discussing how they best can apply these tools and digital exercises with their own firms and clients. Big take-away, this is not easy.

Scenarios Map – just one of the Strategic Scenarios Maps developed by Strategy Tools.

Get it and take the FREE mini-course Leading Through Industry Shifts.

Reflecting on today’s program and the very capable people that chose to spend 90 minutes working with the community, I can’t help but think that we need to do more, faster, with far more impact, to help companies navigate these turbulent times. Hopefully, today’s session give the participants the tools and the community support to go out and do just that.

Do you want to expand your strategy & innovation toolbox?

Join us, and shape the future of strategy. Get access to brand new, high-impact strategy & innovation tools. Upgrade your skills and expand your toolbox – while growing your company in collaboration with the global Strategy Tools community.

Sign up for the 100% self-directed (and complete the program in a day if you desire) or join us on August 25th, for the next live intake of the full four week program, led by Strategy Tools founder Christian Rangen. Either option, we hope to see you for the next Live Digital Workshop on August 4th. Learn more.