Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Strategic Lines II

"strategy" should mean a cohesive response to an important challenge

A word that can mean anything has lost its bite.  To give content to a concept one has to draw lines, marking off what it denotes and what it does not.  To begin the journey toward clarity, it is helpful to recognize that the words "strategy" and "strategic" are often sloppily used to mark decisions made by the highest-level officials.  For example, in business, most mergers and acquisitions, investments in expensive new facilities, negotiations with important suppliers and customers, and overall organizational design are normally considered to be "strategic."  

However, why you speak of "strategy," you should not be simply marking the pay grade of the decision maker.  Rather, the term "strategy" should mean a cohesive response to an important challenge.  Unlike a stand-alone decision or a goal,  a strategy is a coherent set of analyses, concepts, policies, arguments, and actions that respond to a high-stakes challenge.

ACTION POINT: Identify the important  challenges you are facing.

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