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Understanding the balance: leading versus managing a bid
When navigating the complex world of bids, striking the right balance between leadership and management can be the difference between success and failure.
This blog will delve into the nuances that distinguish leading from managing, providing you with essential insights to enhance your bid strategy. By understanding these critical roles, you can refine your approach, ensuring that every bid is strategically sound and meticulously executed.
We see many bids being run without the right balance of leadership and management, which can lead to suboptimal outcomes. It's essential to recognise that both leadership and management skills are necessary for a successful bid, and these skills might not always come from the same person.
So, what's the difference?
Leading a bid involves setting the strategic vision, assembling and motivating the team, engaging with senior stakeholders, and making critical decisions about the bid's direction. It's about defining the win themes, value propositions, and key messages that will resonate with the client.
On the other hand, managing a bid focuses on overseeing the end-to-end bid process, coordinating the efforts of the bid team, ensuring quality control, and managing deadlines. It's about making sure that all necessary procedures and processes are followed, and that the proposal is completed on time and to a high standard.
Why both are important
Without strong leadership, a bid can lack direction and fail to inspire the team. Without effective management, the bid process can become chaotic, leading to missed deadlines and poor quality proposals. Therefore, it's important to identify the leaders and managers on each bid and ensure that you have the right balance of each. On your next bid, ask yourself if you've got the right balance.
If you're reading this and thinking, "We don't get this right," then perhaps it's time to benchmark your approach. Our capability development services can help you identify and develop the leadership and management skills needed for successful bids. Visit our services page to learn more about how we can support your team.
To find out more about the key skills and tools necessary to develop powerful, compelling proposals contact our experts on 0800 009 6800 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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