Strategy is a must for companies committed to reaching the next level. It provides focus, simplifies decision making, and allows teams to collaborate effectively over shared goals. Acclaimed strategist Darcy Bien puts this in action with her Strategy in Motion™ Process, developed from over 20 years of experience propelling hundreds of mid-sized companies to top-performer status.
In her debut book, Strategy in Motion™: A Proven Playbook for Companies Who Win, Darcy explains her four-phase process to help leaders determine what is most important for their unique business. By creating a flexible strategy that stays in motion, teams move to implementation without getting stuck, making success sustainable.
Filled with tools, client examples, quotes, and room to take notes, Strategy in Motion™ makes strategy lucrative and fun. So, are you ready to win?
Strategy is a must for companies committed to reaching the next level. It provides focus, simplifies decision making, and allows teams to collaborate effectively over shared goals. Acclaimed strategist Darcy Bien puts this in action with her Strategy in Motion™ Process, developed from over 20 years of experience propelling hundreds of mid-sized companies to top-performer status.
In her debut book, Strategy in Motion™: A Proven Playbook for Companies Who Win, Darcy explains her four-phase process to help leaders determine what is most important for their unique business. By creating a flexible strategy that stays in motion, teams move to implementation without getting stuck, making success sustainable.
Filled with tools, client examples, quotes, and room to take notes, Strategy in Motion™ makes strategy lucrative and fun. So, are you ready to win?
“I feel blessed to have been able to work with Darcy on our family’s long-term strategic plan. Our leadership team has enjoyed her thoughtful approach and passion for metrics. With Darcy’s help we worked as a team to define and articulate our Purpose, Values and Vision. Our results have grown exponentially since engaging Darcy. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a go-to playbook for long-term company success!”
“I was introduced to Darcy’s strategic planning process in 2003. Darcy’s facilitation of that first strategic planning session put our company, Stober Drives Inc., on a sustained path of continuous improvement and growth. Most of our major improvement initiatives over the years have come directly through strategic planning, which we repeat every 18-24 months. I attribute our company’s positive development and my personal professional development to a great degree to our engagement with Darcy and strategic planning. This book is a go-to guide for CEOs who are ready and willing to do the work.”
“Darcy’s process brought a high level of structure and accountability to our company’s strategic planning experience. She was upfront about how demanding the process could be at times – what she calls the “messy middle.” Darcy is a straight shooter with genuine integrity. We had candid conversations and she told us what we needed to hear. These discussions, along with her Strategy in Motion™ toolkit, helped us reach the finish line.”
“Darcy has been my much-needed strategic Sherpa! With her help and training, my team and I learned that intentional time on strategy is essential to having an evergreen, successful organization. Darcy not only engages and inspires leaders at a visionary level, she also provides a host of pragmatic strategies that are easy to implement and applicable to organizations of all sizes and types. Leaders committed to their own development around strategy and the success of their organizations cannot skip this essential book about putting your strategy in motion.”
“While developing strategy is essential, so is implementing and expanding it. By golly, Darcy asks tough questions to make sure the strategy is right! The methods Darcy employs have empowered us to achieve excellence. Plus Group has thrived by applying Darcy’s strategic principles and translating priorities to actions and results. Darcy provided invaluable input to our processes and has challenged us to not just grow, but to expand by focusing on our purpose and core values as the foundation of all that we do. Darcy’s leadership fosters accountability with rigor, intensity and depth.”
“Darcy’s Strategy in Motion™ process helped us grow our company, our leaders, and ourselves. She is a great listener and has a knack for sniffing out differentiators our executive leadership team had missed. Darcy’s process helped refine our cultural cornerstones – including our purpose, mission, and core values. Her “Listen and Learn” phase with all stakeholders allowed us to create a strategy to move the company forward. Through her stellar guidance, we have capitalized on our strengths and combatted our weaknesses.”
“It’s a privilege to be in the room while Darcy leads companies through her process. Her ability to implement her Strategy in Motion™ toolkit – while simultaneously helping teams navigate the strategic planning landscape – is like watching a master at their trade. This book provides open access to the exact process Darcy uses to create brilliant strategic plans. She didn’t omit any “secret ingredient” as she expertly shares every detail to help strategic leaders stretch to the next level of success. This book will be a tattered guide that never leaves your desk.”
“The four years I partnered with Darcy for strategic planning were the most intense intellectual years of my life. Together we facilitated strategic planning programs for more than fifty companies. It was a real joy to work with Darcy and to make substantive differences in our clients’ success. Darcy has talked about writing a book for a long time, and I am proud that she has published it. She has always been passionate about making these strategy tools accessible to everyone. I am confident that if you listen to her and trust her system, your company will be on a path to greater success.”
“Darcy’s process is extensive, but complete. Her unique “listen and learn” approach involves all stakeholders and she helped chart a stronger course for our company. She focuses on execution – unlike many strategic plans that sit on a shelf. Darcy’s Strategy in Motion™ process helps you scale, not just grow, and I think that’s why organizations are successful with her approach.”
“We have worked with Darcy since 2011. Her process challenged the way we think and the way we view our business and the markets in which we operate. In the first session we had with her in 2011, she unearthed the single largest strategic issue facing our company. This led to a major, multi-year shift in our go-to-market strategy which has paid significant dividends in the form of both revenue and profit growth. Darcy’s new Strategy in Motion™ playbook is a fantastic amalgamation of all of the tools, approaches, processes, etc. that she has used to guide us over the last 11 years. She shares relevant examples that help readers bridge the gap between principle and practical application. This book will be valuable to both companies new to strategy and those who have been working the process for years. I look forward to having this book as a reference for our strategy team as we look to continue to scale.”
“Darcy helped our young and growing craft brewery become more surgical about who we were going to be and how we would get there. And, more importantly, who and what we were not going to be. She masterfully elevated our day-to-day mindset and guided us to a higher altitude of thinking through a time-tested strategy process. Her process enabled us to prioritize our SWOT, establish core truths about our business, define core values, and develop strategies to hold us accountable. She’s done a tremendous job helping us focus to pave the path for growth and expansion.”
“When it comes to strategic planning, Darcy Bien’s expertise and advice cannot be matched. She’s guided hundreds of companies to embrace and achieve their vision of success. It all begins with a commitment to the Strategy in Motion™ process. This book gives you all the tools you need to prepare for business and personal success. On a personal note, as a professional facilitator working with nonprofit organizations, my clients have found Darcy’s tools to be not only helpful but necessary when engaging in strategic planning.”
Many processes stop at the Plan. SIM pushes companies through to implementation and strategic management with key activities and tools to keep the process moving forward.
Assess what data and information you have available and determine what further research is needed.
Your vision, core purpose, core values, and critical strategic choices requiring investment and focus.
Where the rubber meets the road with scorecards, action plans, and communication focused on the strategy.
Link the strategy company-wide, allocate resources to support the plan, and continually assess the plan’s effect.
“I feel blessed to have been able to work with Darcy on our family’s long-term strategic plan. Our leadership team has enjoyed her thoughtful approach and passion for metrics. With Darcy’s help we worked as a team to define and articulate our Purpose, Values and Vision. Our results have grown exponentially since engaging Darcy. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a go-to playbook for long-term company success!”
“I was introduced to Darcy’s strategic planning process in 2003. Darcy’s facilitation of that first strategic planning session put our company, Stober Drives Inc., on a sustained path of continuous improvement and growth. Most of our major improvement initiatives over the years have come directly through strategic planning, which we repeat every 18-24 months. I attribute our company’s positive development and my personal professional development to a great degree to our engagement with Darcy and strategic planning. This book is a go-to guide for CEOs who are ready and willing to do the work.”
“Darcy’s process brought a high level of structure and accountability to our company’s strategic planning experience. She was upfront about how demanding the process could be at times – what she calls the “messy middle.” Darcy is a straight shooter with genuine integrity. We had candid conversations and she told us what we needed to hear. These discussions, along with her Strategy in Motion™ toolkit, helped us reach the finish line.”
“Darcy has been my much-needed strategic Sherpa! With her help and training, my team and I learned that intentional time on strategy is essential to having an evergreen, successful organization. Darcy not only engages and inspires leaders at a visionary level, she also provides a host of pragmatic strategies that are easy to implement and applicable to organizations of all sizes and types. Leaders committed to their own development around strategy and the success of their organizations cannot skip this essential book about putting your strategy in motion.”
“While developing strategy is essential, so is implementing and expanding it. By golly, Darcy asks tough questions to make sure the strategy is right! The methods Darcy employs have empowered us to achieve excellence. Plus Group has thrived by applying Darcy’s strategic principles and translating priorities to actions and results. Darcy provided invaluable input to our processes and has challenged us to not just grow, but to expand by focusing on our purpose and core values as the foundation of all that we do. Darcy’s leadership fosters accountability with rigor, intensity and depth.”
“Darcy’s Strategy in Motion™ process helped us grow our company, our leaders, and ourselves. She is a great listener and has a knack for sniffing out differentiators our executive leadership team had missed. Darcy’s process helped refine our cultural cornerstones – including our purpose, mission, and core values. Her “Listen and Learn” phase with all stakeholders allowed us to create a strategy to move the company forward. Through her stellar guidance, we have capitalized on our strengths and combatted our weaknesses.”
“It’s a privilege to be in the room while Darcy leads companies through her process. Her ability to implement her Strategy in Motion™ toolkit – while simultaneously helping teams navigate the strategic planning landscape – is like watching a master at their trade. This book provides open access to the exact process Darcy uses to create brilliant strategic plans. She didn’t omit any “secret ingredient” as she expertly shares every detail to help strategic leaders stretch to the next level of success. This book will be a tattered guide that never leaves your desk.”
“The four years I partnered with Darcy for strategic planning were the most intense intellectual years of my life. Together we facilitated strategic planning programs for more than fifty companies. It was a real joy to work with Darcy and to make substantive differences in our clients’ success. Darcy has talked about writing a book for a long time, and I am proud that she has published it. She has always been passionate about making these strategy tools accessible to everyone. I am confident that if you listen to her and trust her system, your company will be on a path to greater success.”
“Darcy’s process is extensive, but complete. Her unique “listen and learn” approach involves all stakeholders and she helped chart a stronger course for our company. She focuses on execution – unlike many strategic plans that sit on a shelf. Darcy’s Strategy in Motion™ process helps you scale, not just grow, and I think that’s why organizations are successful with her approach.”
“We have worked with Darcy since 2011. Her process challenged the way we think and the way we view our business and the markets in which we operate. In the first session we had with her in 2011, she unearthed the single largest strategic issue facing our company. This led to a major, multi-year shift in our go-to-market strategy which has paid significant dividends in the form of both revenue and profit growth. Darcy’s new Strategy in Motion™ playbook is a fantastic amalgamation of all of the tools, approaches, processes, etc. that she has used to guide us over the last 11 years. She shares relevant examples that help readers bridge the gap between principle and practical application. This book will be valuable to both companies new to strategy and those who have been working the process for years. I look forward to having this book as a reference for our strategy team as we look to continue to scale.”
“Darcy helped our young and growing craft brewery become more surgical about who we were going to be and how we would get there. And, more importantly, who and what we were not going to be. She masterfully elevated our day-to-day mindset and guided us to a higher altitude of thinking through a time-tested strategy process. Her process enabled us to prioritize our SWOT, establish core truths about our business, define core values, and develop strategies to hold us accountable. She’s done a tremendous job helping us focus to pave the path for growth and expansion.”
“When it comes to strategic planning, Darcy Bien’s expertise and advice cannot be matched. She’s guided hundreds of companies to embrace and achieve their vision of success. It all begins with a commitment to the Strategy in Motion™ process. This book gives you all the tools you need to prepare for business and personal success. On a personal note, as a professional facilitator working with nonprofit organizations, my clients have found Darcy’s tools to be not only helpful but necessary when engaging in strategic planning.”
Many processes stop at the Plan. SIM pushes companies through to implementation and strategic management with key activities and tools to keep the process moving forward.
Assess what data and information you have available and determine what further research is needed.
Your vision, core purpose, core values, and critical strategic choices requiring investment and focus.
Where the rubber meets the road with scorecards, action plans, and communication focused on the strategy.
Link the strategy company-wide, allocate resources to support the plan, and continually assess the plan’s effect.
Please fill out the form below to get in touch.
Cyndi Wineinger
cyndi@stretch-sl.com
+1 513.807.0176 Darcy Bien
darcy@stretch-sl.com
+1 513.807.6647
