A few weeks ago Kevin Delaney wrote an article on strategy that Quartz posted[1].
His premise, as his title says, is that no one should have the word “strategy”
in their job title. He gave two reasons: (1) the gap between strategy and
execution is already too wide; (2) giving strategy to one dis-empowers the
others. Solution: Focus on execution and its improvement, and encourage
everyone to think strategically.
This sounds curiously similar to the arguments about
innovation: we need the incremental improvements in operations, and everyone
should be doing it. But it is precisely the routine aspect of this that
is dead wrong.
Four points to consider: first, strategy needs to rise
above the routine and chart a course to a new destination. Doing things
we’ve always done, but a bit better, won’t cut it for a strategy, nor work in a
rapidly changing world. I’m reminded of the Gartner strategist who said
we are getting good at landing planes, but at the wrong airport[2].
Second, not everyone is a strategic thinker. Marcus
Buckingham and the folks at Gallop taught us that we all bring different
strengths to the job[3].
This is not about elitism; it’s about leveraging the different strengths we have.
The connecting the dots and seeing
around the corners of strategic thinking, is not for everyone. It’s for people who think
that way. Finding these thinkers in your midst, and listening to them, is
a leadership mandate.
Third, strategy can’t be delegated; it must be led.
If the captain can’t articulate the destination, you need a new captain.
That doesn’t mean the captain doesn’t have to listen, that they are always
right. That’s also dead wrong. But if strategy is not led from the
top, the organization won’t get out the harbor.
Fourth, strategy needs to focus on the few. Trying to include everyone’s idea is a recipe
for failure. The adage that a camel is a
horse designed by a committee is a case in point. Nonprofit organizations, whose culture is
to reach consensus, is another context to consider. The “Big Umbrella”[4]
approach lacks the focus to execute well—precisely one of Mr. Delaney’s
critiques.
So is strategy a mainline activity, a trait and job for
all; or is it something that disrupts the status quo and thinking-as-usual?
I’d put my bet on the latter.
"The postings on this site
are my own and don't necessarily represent positions, strategies or opinions of
any of the organizations with which I am associated."
[1] Kevin
J. Delaney, “No one should have the word ‘strategy’ in their job title,”
Quartz, May 12, 2016
[2] Dave
Aron, VP of Research, Gartner Group, CCitDG Conference, October 8, 2009
[3] Marcus
Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Now, Discover Your Strengths, January
29, 2001. The authors note 34 themes from
their broad-based research, of which “strategic” is one. Buckingham would later say that expecting
everyone to have the same strength is akin to expecting all members of an
orchestra to play trombone.
[4]
See the story of the “Big Umbrella” in my book project Letters to a Young
Manager, here: http://www.hpmd.com/hpmd/personal/LTYMstories.nsf/links/162
ReplyDeleteEd you make a lot of excellent points here. I think some of the best strategies seem completely obvious once articulated, yet few would have seen "around the corners" (great way you put it) to have come up with the strategy in the first place. And there is often strategic thinking that's required in even coming up with how to pull off the strategy — I think of strategies that can't be implemented as "unhinged" strategies, which seems to be the norm.
Broadly speaking I think there is a temptation to promote our own way of thinking as if it's the "right" way, but as you say we all need to bring out strengths to the table. In addition, I think there are different types of change, and all of them need to happen. For example, in digital presence changes I think there is very disruptive and broad redesigns that are required sometimes, the routine work program where the underlying machinery is constantly being improved, and the day-to-day items that are already streamlined. See https://davidhobbsconsulting.com/how-to-articles/four-types-digital-presence-change. Too often people thing that A/B testing for example is the answer to all problems where sometimes a more radical change is required.