{"id":2262,"date":"2016-02-19T13:35:20","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T18:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/?p=2262"},"modified":"2016-02-23T10:41:58","modified_gmt":"2016-02-23T15:41:58","slug":"strategy-is-just-like-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/strategy-is-just-like-air\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategy Is Just Like Air"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve had a great response to my recent post announcing\u00a0whywhathow<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(my venture into the world of strategy, performance and governance for not-for-profit and professional services organisations, if you missed it).<\/p>\n

So, how will whywhathow make a difference, you might ask?\u00a0 Is my approach really special or unique?<\/p>\n

That will ultimately be for others to decide, but I will certainly be\u00a0challenging some common (mis)conceptions about strategy and strategic planning.<\/p>\n

\"wwh-featured-3\"
Image copyright Ross Clark<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But\u00a0what does this have to do with “air?” Read on\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fact that most organisations “do” strategy.<\/p>\n

They may do it formally, or informally.\u00a0 Often or rarely.\u00a0 Some don\u2019t even realise they\u2019re doing it.\u00a0 And a few think they\u2019re doing it, but they\u2019re actually\u00a0not!<\/p>\n

For some it\u2019s a challenge, and for many others, a massive chore.<\/p>\n

But for something so common, we seem to have a lot of trouble with the simple question: what is strategy?<\/p>\n

In fact, trying to define \u201cstrategy\u201d can be a little like trying to define \u201cair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most dictionaries describe air along the lines:\u00a0\u201cthe invisible mixture of gases that surrounds the earth and that we breathe.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0While this definition is certainly accurate, and informative to a degree, it tells nothing of the complex impacts and influences that air has on people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

Devastating impacts of cyclones, bushfires, and air pollution.\u00a0 Uplifting feelings from summer breezes, butterflies and jet flights.\u00a0 Fundamental influences on fashion, health and construction.\u00a0 All a reminder that air is much more sophisticated than a simple dictionary definition suggests.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s very similar with\u00a0strategy.<\/p>\n

There are any number of common conceptions and definitions of strategy, but most are unhelpfully limited. \u00a0Indeed, in the new world of organisational complexity, contradiction and disruption, attempting to settle on a singular, prescriptive definition of strategy is virtually pointless.\u00a0 (As pointless as a singular definition of “air.”)<\/p>\n

But if we can\u2019t usefully\u00a0define<\/em>\u00a0strategy, let\u2019s at least identify some key features of effective strategy that are pertinent to today\u2019s organisations.<\/p>\n

1. Strategy is\u00a0not a plan<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

Implementing a strategy might be aided by a plan, but a plan, by definition, involves moving step-by-step to some pre-determined outcome.\u00a0 In a stable, predictable world a static strategic plan may have value, but our world is now considerably less stable, and significantly less predictable.<\/p>\n

While the terms “strategy” and “strategic plan” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same.\u00a0 Strategic plans are commonly seen as a\u00a0document<\/em>, not as the\u00a0ideas<\/em>\u00a0contained in it.\u00a0 But\u00a0genuine strategy must be embodied in a powerful set of guiding ideas and decisions, which may or may not be formally documented.<\/p>\n

2. Strategy must be\u00a0simple<\/em>\u00a0at its core.<\/h2>\n

Effective strategy needs to be comprehensible and communicable.\u00a0 Not just for a few leaders, but for every single person in your organisation.<\/p>\n

It must essentially\u00a0focus on the basic choices that will influence\u00a0customers\u00a0<\/em>(read clients, members, stakeholders, supporters)\u00a0to\u00a0commit\u00a0<\/em>(meaning purchase, join, sign-up)\u00a0to your\u00a0product<\/em>\u00a0(or service, cause, program).\u00a0 These choices are fundamental for any business: who will we target and what compelling value proposition will we offer them?<\/p>\n

3. Strategy needs to be\u00a0responsive<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0adaptive.<\/em><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not just about\u00a0you<\/em>, but also about the specific business environment that your organisation is operating in.\u00a0 And depending on how foreseeable, pliable and tough that environment is, a different approach to strategy will be called for.\u00a0 Which means, most certainly, that\u00a0every strategy will need to change–from business to business, from time to time, and even from one product or program to another.<\/p>\n

4. Strategy can never be\u00a0perfect<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

Continually honing and refining your strategy in\u00a0a search of perfection will almost always be unproductive.\u00a0 Think about a watch that\u2019s running five minutes fast.\u00a0 It will still help you navigate your day without too many missed meetings, deadlines or meals, even though it will never be exactly right.\u00a0 Whereas a watch that\u2019s stopped, will be perfectly correct twice a day, but otherwise useless.<\/p>\n

5. Strategy must be\u00a0clear<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

Crystal clear.\u00a0 Because to work, to be executable, all the people in the organisation who have any role in influencing its successful delivery have to be able to understand your\u00a0strategy, internalise it and apply it to all they do.<\/p>\n

And\u00a0understanding “why?” is fundamental for such clarity.<\/p>\n

6. Strategy is\u00a0not risk management<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

Strategy is commonly regarded as cool, logical and reassuring. \u00a0But effective\u00a0strategy today needs to be at least a little provocative, uncomfortable and challenging. \u00a0At its centre, strategy is always about change.\u00a0 Otherwise, it\u2019s simply restating the status quo.\u00a0 And change, for most of us, is always a bit uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

And in the end, no strategy can guarantee success.\u00a0 It can, and should, make success more likely.\u00a0 But in the end,\u00a0strategy is a gamble–an educated gamble–but a gamble nonetheless, and it should be recognised for what it is.<\/p>\n

7. Strategy is\u00a0not subservient to time<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

One of the most common flaws in modern strategic planning is to frame the \u2018strategic plan\u2019 within a predetermined time-scale.\u00a0 3-year plans or 5-year plans are everywhere.\u00a0 In reality these time-frames are more about saying: \u201cThank goodness we don\u2019t have to think about our strategic plan for another 3 years\u201d than they are about achieving desirable outcomes.\u00a0\u00a0Effective strategy recognises that some target outcomes may be achievable within weeks, while others may take years\u00a0or even decades.<\/p>\n

8. Strategy is about\u00a0expanding<\/em>, not\u00a0narrowing<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

Strategy should facilitate\u00a0moving forward with\u00a0clear intent<\/em>\u00a0and a preparedness to provoke\u00a0learning<\/em>\u00a0and an\u00a0expanded<\/em>\u00a0view of your organisation and its\u00a0environment.\u00a0 This\u00a0will always be more effective than planning backwards from some notional\u00a0perfect future\u00a0<\/em>you\u2019ve visualised in detail, and progressively\u00a0narrowing<\/em>\u00a0our options until you\u00a0achieve it.<\/p>\n

9. Strategy must consider\u00a0what won\u2019t be done<\/em>, as much as\u00a0what will be done<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

When you\u00a0develop a strategy to achieve your goals or mission, you\u00a0need to think about all the things you\u00a0could<\/em>\u00a0do, not just the things you\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0doing.\u00a0 Otherwise, you will\u00a0just keep treading down the same pathway, albeit in new boots.<\/p>\n

In the end,\u00a0strategy boils down to a series of decisions about\u00a0trade-offs<\/em>. \u00a0You\u00a0decide what you\u00a0will<\/em>\u00a0do, which invariably results in having to accept there are things you\u00a0won\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0can\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0do.\u00a0 But provided your team is\u00a0all agreed, you\u00a0can move forward with purpose and intent.<\/p>\n

10. Strategy is\u00a0personal<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

In the end, organisations don\u2019t implement strategy,\u00a0people<\/em>\u00a0do.\u00a0 And all of your people have their own strategic agendas \u2013 some of which are focused on the organisation and some on themselves.\u00a0 So, if your strategic intent is to succeed, much\u00a0effort needs to focus on creating\u00a0alignment<\/em>\u00a0of personal strategies with your overarching organisational strategy.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, strategy has one final important thing in common with air–it\u2019s very easy to move it to the back of your mind and take for granted.\u00a0 But if you do, someday you might just pay the\u00a0price.<\/p>\n

So, these are a few of my thoughts about strategy, but what about\u00a0yours\u2026?<\/h2>\n

Hopefully, some of what I\u2019ve said above resonates with your own experience.\u00a0 If it does, please leave a\u00a0comment\u00a0to let me know.\u00a0 Or perhaps a further\u00a0suggestion\u00a0about strategy that would add to the conversation. \u00a0If you think I\u2019ve got it wrong, I\u2019d especially love to hear from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve had a great response to my recent post announcing\u00a0whywhathow\u00a0(my venture into the world of strategy, performance and governance for not-for-profit and professional services organisations, if you missed it). So, how will whywhathow make a difference, you might ask?\u00a0 Is my approach really special or unique? That will ultimately be for others to decide, but… Strategy Is Just Like Air<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":2263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[5,76,388],"class_list":["post-2262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy","tag-business-strategy","tag-corporate-strategy","tag-strategy-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2262"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2307,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262\/revisions\/2307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}