Williston

Several TEC members have been making money in Williston. Some are participating as subcontract suppliers to tier one vendors who are already there. Other TEC member firms are (literally) on the ground, building roads and providing staffing services. Still others are working on waste water treatment alternatives for the process known as "fracking."

An impressive example of a TEC member firm who anticipated the boom in Williston, is an old line, made in America, metal fabricating and manufacturing company located in a suburb of Milwaukee. Through a rigorous strategic planning process, the company identified specific energy related markets as opportunities that took advantage of their strengths. They calculated they could shore up their identified weaknesses, apply some resources in terms of people and money and enter a new market. This piece of the strategic planning process was initiated in 2007. It was tweaked every year along the way.

In hindsight, it looks easy. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. See the opportunities and threats. Apply some resource. Voila. Williston.

Not exactly. It took the commitment of the CEO to spend real money on the planning process, when everyone else in the company was "too busy to plan." A recession was looming. Time to hunker down. Well, yes and no.

By definition, the strategic planning process is taking the organization "out there" somewhere. When management is doing strategic work, there are no immediate results to give the leadership team feedback relative to the intended course of direction. It is, a leap of faith. A belief that the process will save the day. It requires courage. It requires leadership.

The alternatives? Most organizations end up slogging it out with a plethora of competitors...known and unknown. They fight for market share. They offer lower and lower prices to compete. They commoditize their products and services. They don't make much money.

Call it a Blue Ocean or Williston. "Out there," there are new markets. "Out there," there is more than enough to go around.