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How to Think Strategically Beyond Profits
One of the big issues we run into in strategic planning is the overwhelming pressure to maximize profits. I’m not saying profit is a bad thing. Profit is, after all, what attracts investors and often, good management. In our society, it’s accepted that the primary responsibility of the company and its management is to optimize […]
Continue readingIndustry Ecosystems
“Ecosystem” is a funny word to use when talking about strategy. Historically, the term has been used to talk about natural ecosystems. So how can we use that understanding for a better sense of how our strategy can work? In nature, one of the key concepts we can use to understand ecosystems is a dynamic […]
Continue readingWhy We Aren’t Bold
Pursuing a competitive advantage strategy One of the biggest struggles in strategy is pushing a bold, distinctive identity for your company and brand. This is so common that we start the strategic planning process assuming that we haven’t pushed the envelope. We need solid reasons to venture out into (sometimes uncomfortable) new territory. There are […]
Continue readingStrategic Planning in Uncertain Times
We live, as the old proverb says, in interesting times. This can be exciting – especially if you are the disruptor, changing the industry you are in. It can also be frightening, and it can make good planning extremely difficult. When markets, regulations, the economy and technology all seem to be changing randomly and harmfully, […]
Continue readingAutomate your strategy if you want to lose
Quantitative Approaches to Strategic Planning or Qualitative? Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a great increase in what I think of as automated strategic planning. Some heavily quantitative approaches (like balanced scorecard) can be part of a good strategic planning process. The problem I notice is that often, companies use these approaches as a […]
Continue readingCustomers’ Dimensions of Value
Customers’ dimensions of value may be very different from ours Customers don’t look at us – or our products and services – in the same way we do. When we look at what we do, we see the effort, the difficulty, and the risk we put into everything. The sum of the know-how we apply […]
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