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Business Strategy with Hirav Shah JUNE 20, 2025 | The Indian Eye 38

BUSINESS STRATEGY VS. BUSINESS DECISIONS:

HOW TO CONNECT THE DOTS

tion from business strategists, men-
tors, and advisors
Can You Ever Imagine?
A company launches a product
without validating customer demand.
After a massive investment, sales are dis-
appointingly low. A simple pilot launch
could have prevented this disaster.
• Key Question: Are you validating
decisions before executing them?
• My Advice: “If you don’t validate,
you speculate. And speculation is
HIRAV SHAH an expensive gamble.”
5 Step 4: Measure and Adjust for
magine this: You’re the CEO of a Continuous Improvement
growing company, and you’ve just
A successful business strategy is
Iset an ambitious business strategy Every decision you make should reinforce and strengthen your strategy (File/Representative photo) not static—it evolves based on market
to expand globally. The vision is clear, trends and business performance.
but as you start making decisions— • How to Track Business Decisions:
hiring new talent, entering new mar- aligned with the larger business 3 Step 2: Validate Every Business • Set clear KPIs (Key Performance
kets, and investing in technology— strategy? Decision Against the Strategy Indicators) to measure the impact
you realize something isn’t adding up. • Example: A company wants to ex- Every decision you make should of decisions
Some decisions contradict the original pand internationally (strategy), but reinforce and strengthen your strate- • Identify gaps and pivot if necessary
strategy, while others seem rushed. deciding which country to target first gy. Otherwise, you risk making choic- Use past decisions to refine future
Ever been in a situation where (decision) requires careful valida- es that take your business in different
your strategy and decisions feel dis- tion. directions. strategies
Imagine This:
connected? You’re not alone. Many My Advice: “A strategy without decisions Before making a decision, ask: A startup initially planned to tar-
businesses set grand strategies but is just a dream. Decisions without strat- • Does this decision align with our get B2C consumers, but after testing,
struggle to align day-to-day decisions egy lead to chaos. The key is alignment.” business strategy? Will it drive long- they found more demand in the B2B
with their long-term goals. The secret? term success or just short-term
Understanding how business strategy 2 Step 1: Define a Clear Business gains? Have we analyzed the finan- space. Instead of sticking to their orig-
and business decisions work together. Strategy cial impact and risks? Does data inal plan, they pivoted their strategy
and grew faster.
Let’s dive into how you can con- A strong business strategy is the support this decision?
nect the dots between strategy and foundation for effective decision-mak- Imagine This: • Key Question: How often are you
reviewing the impact of your deci-
decisions to ensure every move you ing. Without it, decisions become scat- A restaurant chain has a farm-to- sions?
make drives growth, success, and sus- tered and reactionary. table strategy, emphasizing fresh, or- • My Advice: “Great businesses don’t
tainability. Ask Yourself: ganic ingredients. Then, to cut costs, just make decisions—they track
• What is our long-term goal? Where they start using frozen food. Custom-
1 Understanding the Difference: do we see the business in 5-10 years? ers notice, and the brand loses cred- them, refine them, and optimize
Strategy vs. Decision • What is our unique value proposi- ibility. The decision to save money them for long-term impact.”
Before we can bridge the gap, we tion (USP)? contradicted the strategy. Conclusion:
need to be clear on what sets strategy • Who is our target market, and how • Key Question: Are you making stra- Strategy + Decisions = Success
and decisions apart. do we position ourselves? tegic decisions or just reacting to A business strategy sets the vision;
• Business Strategy is the long-term • What are the key trends and compe- market conditions? decisions turn that vision into reality.
vision and roadmap of a company. tition shaping our industry? • My Advice: “Every decision should • Validate every business decision to
It answers where you want to go and Imagine This: be a stepping stone toward your ul- ensure it aligns with strategic goals.
why • You run a luxury fashion brand. timate vision. If it’s not, rethink it.”
• Business Decisions are the specif- Your strategy is to position yourself Measure outcomes and pivot when
necessary for continuous success.
ic actions taken to implement the as an exclusive, high-end label. But 4 Step 3: Use a Business Decision
strategy. They answer how you get then, you decide to introduce low- Validation Framework Final Thought:
there. cost mass-market products. To ensure alignment between
Smart businesses don’t make ran-
Picture This: • Suddenly, your brand identity is strategy and decisions, apply a deci- dom decisions—they make strategic
• Imagine your business is a ship. The confused, and customers don’t sion validation process before execut- moves backed by validation and data.
strategy is the map showing your know what you stand for. This is ing any major move.
final destination. The decisions are what happens when strategy and 3-Step Decision Validation Process: My Advice: “When strategy and decisions
the course corrections, speed ad- decisions don’t align. • Data-Driven Analysis – Use market walk hand in hand, success follows.”
justments, and stops along the way. Key Question: Does your strategy research, financials, and customer
If your decisions don’t align with the have a clear direction and purpose? insights The writer is a well known Business
map, you’ll either drift off course or My Advice: “A confused business confus- • Scenario Testing – What happens if Turnaround Specialist, Astro Strategist,
never reach your goal. es customers. When your strategy is clear, this decision fails? Have a backup plan and BestSelling Author.
• Key Question: Is your decision your decisions will be, too.” • Expert Consultation – Seek valida- [email protected]

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