The Right Strategy, Part 1
Strategic planning is not the quest for the "right strategy." There is no such thing. Let me illustrate this by a sports example that should be familiar to most sports fans.
A new coach is hired to take over a floundering team. The vision is to build a team that is a perpetual winner. Let's assume that the two most important things a coach can manipulate are the team's talent and the system under which they play. There are many strategies this coach can use that can succeed. Here are some of them:
Talent Driven
Using a talent-driven strategy, the coach assesses the talent the team has and designs a system that takes maximum advantage of that talent, utilizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. As the team's roster changes over time, the coach adapts the system to the changing pool of talent.
System Driven
In a system-driven strategy, the coach implements a system that he believes is superior. Players who do not or will not fit into the system are replaced with those who can and will. The roster is continually adjusted to better implement the system.
Competitive Talent Driven
The competitive-talent-driven coach assesses how the team matches up with the talent of the best teams in the league, then works on roster changes that improve those matchups. The coach then designs a system that takes maximum advantage of that talent, utilizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. As the nature of the competition changes over time, the coach changes personnel and, as a consequence, the system.
Competitive System Driven
The competitive-system-driven coach assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams in the league, then devises a system that exploits the weaknesses and defends against the strengths of the best teams. Players that do not or will not fit into the system are replaced with those who can and will. The roster is continually adjusted to better implement the system. As the nature of the competition changes over time, the coach changes the system and, as a consequence, the personnel.
Each of these four strategic approaches can work. Each can fail. No one of them is the "right strategy." Which to chose? We'll look at that in a future post. Stay tuned.
Copyright © 2007 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning
A new coach is hired to take over a floundering team. The vision is to build a team that is a perpetual winner. Let's assume that the two most important things a coach can manipulate are the team's talent and the system under which they play. There are many strategies this coach can use that can succeed. Here are some of them:
Talent Driven
Using a talent-driven strategy, the coach assesses the talent the team has and designs a system that takes maximum advantage of that talent, utilizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. As the team's roster changes over time, the coach adapts the system to the changing pool of talent.
System Driven
In a system-driven strategy, the coach implements a system that he believes is superior. Players who do not or will not fit into the system are replaced with those who can and will. The roster is continually adjusted to better implement the system.
Competitive Talent Driven
The competitive-talent-driven coach assesses how the team matches up with the talent of the best teams in the league, then works on roster changes that improve those matchups. The coach then designs a system that takes maximum advantage of that talent, utilizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. As the nature of the competition changes over time, the coach changes personnel and, as a consequence, the system.
Competitive System Driven
The competitive-system-driven coach assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams in the league, then devises a system that exploits the weaknesses and defends against the strengths of the best teams. Players that do not or will not fit into the system are replaced with those who can and will. The roster is continually adjusted to better implement the system. As the nature of the competition changes over time, the coach changes the system and, as a consequence, the personnel.
Each of these four strategic approaches can work. Each can fail. No one of them is the "right strategy." Which to chose? We'll look at that in a future post. Stay tuned.
Copyright © 2007 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning
Labels: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning
posted by Phil Bookman at 2:11 PM
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