This is an initiative of small, manageable, practical, and active networks of leaders who continuously share insights and ideas about anything to do with Strategy in their various organisations. As an acronym STERN means Strategy Talks Empowerment-Roundtable-Networks. Coincidentally, STERN, as a word, means Strict, Firm, Serious, Uncompromising, etc. All these adjectives describe the seriousness with which Strategy needs to be approached.
How does STERN work?
Leaders from different organisations register for the initiative with Vertical Momentum. They are then profiled and matched with six (6) other similar-level leaders from other organisations to form a network of seven (7) STERN leaders of diverse expertise to ensure the richness of any particular STERN network. The group nominates a Chairperson and Secretary who will run for a year. The group organises itself, schedules its activities, and keeps Vertical Momentum informed of its activities. For Vertical Momentum Associates, being a STERN leader earns one points through active participation in STERN network activities.
What is the STERN philosophy
Smaller, intimate, and active networks of like-minded people work much better than bigger networks which almost always end up inactive.
Why Seven (7) leaders in a group?
- First of all it’s advisable to have an odd number in a group so that stalemate does not at all occur in any decision-making. For the small groups we need to have in line with the STERN concept, seven is ideal as it is the midpoint between five and ten. For high group effectiveness, five would be too small while nine will be too large. That makes seven an appropriate number.
- Number seven (7) represents fullness in life. This is the number of perfection. It’s much like the seven wonders of the world, the seven days of the week, etc. The number seven also suggests completeness.
What the icon means
The icon resembles a round table of seven (7) STERN leaders. The colours on the different spaces on the table are actually rainbow colours, symbolising hope, goodwill, new beginnings, promise, equality, communication, peace and non-segregation among other meanings attached to the phenomenon.
The type of activities in STERN
Informal breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks, etc | Attending business events together, especially Vertical Momentum ones | Analysing economic developments and sharing insights and ideas | Supporting each other in various ways | Promoting each other’s business | Activities are kept informal and fun as much as possible