WAIT, WHAT?
TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG
Why do companies need a strategy? The word means “the art of waging war”, but are we really talking about battle planning? We asked Robert Gorosch to explain PostNord’s strategy. MOST COMPANIES have a strategy. Grand words that aim high. You may have heard PostNord’s vision “Favorite carrier of the Nordics”, its purpose "We make everyday life easier", or the strategic priorities “Win in Parcel” and “Sustainable Mail Business”. But do you know what they mean? And how to use them in your everyday work? One person who should be able to explain this is Robert Gorosch, Group Strategy Director at PostNord. His work includes tracking consumer trends and analyzing the postal and parcel market to ensure that PostNord is focusing on the right things. “Put simply, strategy is the ability to formulate a couple of clear goals and identify what you need to do to achieve them”, Robert says. Well, that doesn’t sound so complicated, does it? “No, but perhaps the hard part is not setting goals, its having some logic for why they are important and what activities you need to achieve them.” Take PostNord’s vision for example “Favorite carrier of the Nordics”. How do you become that? “It’s not enough to say you want to achieve it; the major task is bringing the vision to life. Does it mean that we should have the largest market share in the Nordic region, or that we should be the
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most popular supplier? Parcel”; it encompasses various “As we want the preferred activities such as being efficient, supplier, we need to find out what cutting costs and working smart. If consumers think is most important that information does not reach or a deal-breaker. It can be the people who actually deliver anything from speed and friendly the parcels, it will take us much drivers to a wide range of options longer to reach our goals. It must to choose from. Then the key is become part of the culture at create services that consumers PostNord. That’s why it's so love. And that’s how it goes: goals, important that our leaders talk analysis, action, follow-up.” about this in the workplace.” How do you ensure that the How can employees contribute to strategy is not just fancy words the strategy? and that it reaches all parts of the “Everyone who is out in the field organization? sees a lot. It could be a route that “This is a huge challenge and an needs to be re-evaluated or tasks area with potential for developthat can be done smarter. Having ment. We need to get better at the courage to speak up, take communicating this in a simple responsibility and suggest way. improvements is so important.” “Basically, the If you have corporate strategy sets questions or the framework for the thoughts about the country strategies. It’s strategy, who then up to each country should you contact? to communicate its own “You can strategy and goals in naturally talk to an understandable your manager, but way, using articles and you can also send Robert Gorosch, other informative an email to me or Group Strategy material. But our Director at PostNord. someone in leaders are the most management. You important tool of all. They have to shouldn’t be afraid of doing that. eat, sleep and live our strategy for Sometimes I notice that there is us to succeed.” still a culture of not talking about How important is it for a driver our problems, but we have to be or mail carrier to know Postable to do that in order to solve Nord’s strategy? them.” “It's extremely important! Take our strategic priority “Win in
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