Building a Successful Strategy: Foundation, Alignment & Flow

I have come to realize why my work methodology is second nature to me. It comes from my life in dance. As a young dancer, I spent the first several years building a foundation by learning the rules and developing technique, technique, and more technique. I practiced the same steps and positions over and over until a very solid foundation was built. This foundation is both the architecture of alignment and also what is used to bring me back into alignment when I inevitably falter. In dance, alignment is achieved when each part of the body is in the correct and appropriate relative positions to one another. Head, shoulders, wrists, fingers, spine, torso, hips, legs, knees, ankles, toes - aligned movement according to the rules of whichever dance universe in which I was performing, from ballet to jazz to hip hop.

Only after I had this solid aligned foundation could I start to actually dance with freedom and joy and infuse the dance with my person style. I could move into a state of flow where my creative instinct would take over while the underlying embodied structure allowed it all to successfully unfold. That is the origin of alignment and flow.

I have applied alignment and flow to build Nolan Heimann LLP and have witnessed the success of this philosophy in numerous client business ventures.

This is how you can obtain and use alignment and flow:

Step One: Define the rules of the universe. Creating a solid foundation requires first knowing what materials you have to work with. It is essential to evaluate the venture as it exists today by identifying and defining all existing assets and understanding the values and drivers of the principals and stakeholders.

Step Two: Design the architecture. Now that you have identified your raw materials, you should know how they integrate. This is accomplished by determining where the venture assets and principal motivations intersect, discovering where and how this intersection can be leveraged to solve a market problem, and analyzing the value of this intersection in the marketplace.

Step Three: Locate your north star. Building without direction could take you down the wrong path. It is critical in any venture to dig deep and uncover your true objectives and your ultimate purpose. This may sound a bit like therapy to you, a bit too personal, but it really is essential.

Step Four: Draw the map. Using the architectural blueprint and knowing the destination, you build a strategy always being mindful of the rules of the universe. The path might be straight or winding, there might be detours and off-ramps, but as long as you have a strong foundation, you can always get back on track.

Step Five: It takes a village: You now know where you are going and how to get there, but you cannot do it alone. You also know who you are, what you do well and what does not come natural. Lean into what motivates you and build a team around you filled with others that lean into their innate gifts.

Step Five: Flow. When all is in alignment, decision-making is obvious, behavior is instinctive, and you are free to operate in your authentic state. Things move faster and with ease and this is where the current propels you forward. This is where you want to live.

Step Six: Re-align. Inevitably, there will be interruptions and setbacks. With a solid foundation, you can build a path over or around the roadblocks, re-align, and get back into the state of flow.

Future Forward:

We are constantly navigating change and looking into the future because all businesses must think ahead. We have attorneys with deep knowledge that provide detailed expertise in executing fundamental and novel aspects of our client’s strategies. Each of us have an affinity for the new frontiers from immersive entertainment to blockchain and the metaverse. We are committed to helping our clients structure their ventures on solid, authentic foundations to enable growth and transformation.