In a fast-moving world, everyone needs to know something about strategy – even if only to decide where to focus when carrying out their day to day responsibilities. This book has described how to think through a strategy and provides a basis for developing the knowhow required to think strategically.
Strategy making is both simple and challenging. All you need to do is answer a few basic questions. It's coming up with the answers, which is the tricky bit. Fortunately there are aids to guide your thinking. Creating strategy is always a creative act but, like any artist, you can improve your craft – there are concepts and tools to help you structure your thought process.
And you are not alone. By involving a good mix of people in the right process you can share expertise and hone your arguments. Strategy making is the art of bringing all these components together – using the concepts, tools, people and process in a way that is customised to your situation.
However, the answers are only the start – the success of any strategy depends not just on how you make it, but how you implement it.
If you follow the approach to designing strategy suggested here you will be well on the way to a successful outcome. You will have thought ahead, creating a strategy that will be effective when the rubber hits the road. You will have built commitment to the strategy by engaging the implementers in the process. You will have communicated your strategy effectively and developed the strategic intelligence of your organisation. Now you must select the right way of rolling out the strategy.
The way you put your strategy in place depends on the level of uncertainty and unpredictability that the strategy has to deal with. The less certain you are, the more flexible your approach should be.
If you know your suggested plan is ‘the one and only’ then all you need to do is map out the tasks, responsibilities and milestones in a structured and detailed fashion.
On the other hand, if the pathway is a bit less predictable, then you'll need to build in opportunities to intervene and adapt the strategy as it develops. You'll need to communicate faster and more often about what is going on – both with the implementation and the external situation. You'll need to be able to re-plan and re-issue your plans.
Sometimes, though, things are even more uncertain. When the environment is highly unpredictable and a lot of different expertise is required to make things happen, you need to be able to loosen your grip on the reins, allowing the strategy to adapt to the evolving situation.
The solution, in such circumstances, is to set clear objectives and constraints, but otherwise to not be too prescriptive. Having set these broad objectives, ask for more detailed plans to be developed by the next layer down in the organisation. Review and comment on the plans, but let those who have created the plans implement and adapt them to emerging conditions.
Those implementing the strategy should come back to you only if they need to change the objective or constraints, or get more resources. This approach is what author Stephen Bungay describes as ‘directed opportunism’ – the do-ers are encouraged to seize opportunities so long as they reflect the objectives and constraints that they have been given. You can then spend the time you have available to focus on the most critical areas where you can add the most value. Leave the rest to your team to implement.
To make this approach work, you have to be able to trust those you are delegating too. Adequate training, teamwork and a shared commitment to the success of the strategy are a pre-condition. That is why this approach is hard to pull off – but powerful when it happens.
How to design a strategy is not a skill you learn solely from a book. It comes from an iterative process of learning, doing and reflecting. So – once you have read this book you will need to get some practice! You can start with the book's website, www.whatyouneedtoknowaboutstrategy. com which has worked case examples and suggestions for further reading.
Consult magazines, newspapers and books to read about other organisations and strategists. Try and work out how they have answered the strategic questions – so that you can learn from what others have done successfully or unsuccessfully. Ask those around you what they think the strategy of your organisation is – or what the strategies are of your competitors. Investigate what strategies were developed in the past and how they have performed when implemented. Read other books about strategy. Get involved, where you can, in creating new strategies for your own organisation.
This book provides a framework of questions and insights to help you become a better strategist. If you use it and apply it you will have started on the cycle of learning and doing. Get out there and get going!