Dariel Burdass
Chief Executive, The Physiological Society

Over the past couple of years, under the Presidency of David Paterson, The Society has focused on re-engaging with its community and our wider network of stakeholders to increase the visibility of physiology through an inclusive approach so that we are sustainable for the future.

During the last year The Society has focused on developing its new strategy, which has been led by Andrew Mackenzie, Associate Director of Strategy and External Relations, who has overall responsibility for the formation of strategy within our organisation. The strategy process has involved working closely with Trustees, members, and staff to set our course for the next five years.

While it is important to note that the current strategy has served The Society well over the last five years and was ambitious and forward-thinking, our four distinctive but interconnecting strands tended to map onto the administrative departments we had set up for our own convenience rather than convey to the outside world a direction and objectives.

Strategy involves focus and, therefore, choice. And choice means setting aside some goals in favour of others. A good strategy will, by definition, not please everyone but will demonstrate how we will support physiology while providing that sense of community for members and a strong voice for our discipline through our publications, policy work, and conferences programme.

So, what does a good strategy look like?

Richard Rumelt, one of the world’s foremost thinkers on strategy, noted in his book Good Strategy/Bad Strategy that:

“Good strategy recognizes the true nature of challenges and finds ways to overcome them. Bad strategy leaves you blind to your organization’s challenges and chases unattainable goals without a workable plan.”

“Good strategy is coherent action backed up by an argument, an effective mixture of thought and action with a basic underlying structure I call the kernel. A good strategy may consist of more than the kernel, but if the kernel is absent or misshapen, then there is a serious problem.”

The strategy should therefore set the overall direction of The Society to ensure that we maximise potential both now and in the future. It should also provide the foundation for decision-making and resource allocation and describe a direction of travel towards an attainable end point so that we can all see how our activities are helping us to get there.

Rumelt’s book offers three essential guideposts for good strategy:

• A Diagnosis

A diagnosis defines the challenge in clear, simple terms. A good diagnosis distils a complex, often-overwhelming reality into a simpler story that people can act upon.

• A Guiding Policy

A guiding policy is the broad approach to addressing the obstacles you’ve identified. It points you in a certain direction without dictating exactly what to do.

• Coherent Action

Coherent actions are the ways to execute the guiding policy. These are a set of coordinated policies, resources, and manoeuvres that are aligned with and support each other.

Exemplified in the diagram below:

To thrive as a sustainable organisation, The Society needs to engage with its loyal members and also attract a continual supply of keen new members, whom we retain by involving them in activities that engage them and of which they feel part; members must be at the heart of The Society and are central to the success of the new strategy.

The new strategy is shown as a Strategy Map, which provides a visual framework for integrating strategic priorities across strategic pillars, sometimes referred to as “pillars of excellence”. The strategic priorities are essential elements that provide structure and boundaries, and support the Mission and Vision. More importantly, they define the business model and allow measurable strategic outcomes (results) to be identified.

I, along with the Trustees, look forward to launching our new 2023–2027 strategy at the Member Forum on Friday 2 December.