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Getting caught in the strategic "messy middle" is a common struggle for Kiwi businesses – that uncomfortable space between having great ideas and actually realizing their value. Rob Erskine and Tony Rutherford, founders of Copper Fox consultancy, bring decades of commercial experience to this candid conversation about why so many business strategies ultimately collect dust.

The pair highlight several critical failures in strategic implementation: strategies that exist only in owners' heads, "drawer documents" created once every few years but never revisited, and the fundamental lack of execution planning – the missing "how" and "who" components that translate vision into action. With 97% of New Zealand businesses employing fewer than 20 people, many simply lack the bandwidth to simultaneously handle daily operations and strategic initiatives.

"Quite often strategies ask the question 'what do we want to do?' But sometimes the failing is 'how are we going to do that?'" Rob explains, pinpointing a key reason so many well-intentioned plans never materialize. Tony adds that relying solely on compliance-focused accountants rather than forward-looking commercial advisors further compounds the problem.

The conversation delves into the unique challenges facing New Zealand's business landscape – from our "batch, beamer, and boat" lifestyle mindset to the limitations of scale in a country of just 5 million people. For ambitious companies, looking beyond our shores becomes necessary, but brings additional complexities in navigating international markets and regulatory environments.

Perhaps most revealing is the discussion around risk management, with both consultants noting that while business owners intuitively understand their risks, they rarely formalize or systematically monitor them until crises emerge. This reactive approach leaves companies vulnerable, especially during economic downturns.

Ready to move your business strategy beyond the whiteboard? Rob and Tony's practical advice – building integrated teams with necessary expertise, assigning clear ownership of initiatives, and maintaining realistic resource planning – provides a roadmap for turning strategic vision into tangible business outcomes.

Music by arnaud136 from Pixabay