Strategic Planning Alternatives
"The ability to learn faster than your
competitors
may be the only sustainable competitive advantage."
Arie de Geus
The issue
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Sometimes, we construct our strategies and plans on the basis
of what we want to happen, rather than what might happen. Sometimes,
we plan on what we believe and know rather than what we are
uncertain about.
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So, how can we ensure our strategy is robust enough, given
the uncertainties that are out there?
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How can we ensure we, collectively, understand these choices,
explain them and are looking for the signals and triggers that
things are changing and the strategy might have to be reviewed
or even revised?
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When it comes to strategic planning processes, we appear to
have a choice, which look like alternatives:
Design the strategy,
then execute it
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Continuous strategic communication,
testing, learning and evolution
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A period of strategic analysis, leads to decisions.
This is followed by detailed design and planning.
This strategy then gets communicated and executed.
Execution typically carries on for a year
or two (possibly more), until the strategy becomes out of
date.
At this point you re-analyse and plan again.
This is the classical approach to
strategy.
Is it working for you? Could it be better? |
An initial hypothesis about the market is created. It is tried,
tested quickly, and the feedback is assessed.
From that, changes are made either to the
strategy, or to the way it is being executed.
As feedback is gathered, plans and budgets
are revised, the refinements to the strategy are communicated
and its execution monitored.
The organisation quickly learns about the
strategy and its execution. As lessons are learnt, both the
strategy and the organisation evolve.
This is strategic learning
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Our service means that:
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We are not saying that strategic analysis is a waste of time.
On the contrary, it is important: but, so is action. It
is a question of balance.
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We are saying that choosing a strategy, spending ages planning
its execution and communicating it, and then not listening or
feeling for changes means that you can be a long way off course
before you realise it is too late. The art is to be agile, systematic
and to evolve continuously. the art is quality of thinking
and action combined.
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We help you to do both, quicker and more effectively. A very
critical part is increaseing the quality of the understanding
of the strategy, both within the management team and outside
it.
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its this combination of, the quality of thinking, analysis,
communication, understanding and ction that helps you to implement
your strategy more quickly and more effectively.
More on Strategic choice
and design
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