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Your Strategic Plans Probably Aren't Strategic, or Even Plans (hbr.org)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the how-about-that dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Unfortunately, while C-suite executives talk "strategy," they're often confused about what it means. Why this confusion? The problem starts with the word itself -- a scarily misunderstood concept in management and board circles. The most basic mix-up is between "objective," "strategy," and "action." (I see this frequently in published strategic plans as well.) Grasp this, I tell my audience, and your day will be well spent.

An "objective" is something you're trying to achieve -- a marker of the success of the organization. At the other end of the spectrum is "action." This occurs at the individual level -- a level that managers are presented with day after day. So naturally when they think "strategy" they focus on what they do. But this isn't strategy either. "Strategy" takes place between these two at the organization level and managers can't "feel" that in the same way. It's abstract. CEOs have an advantage here because only they have a total view of the organization.

The key to strategy is that it's the positioning of one business against others -- such GM against Ford and Toyota, for example. What exactly is positioning? It's placement on the strategic factors relevant to each key stakeholder group.

7 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. popcorn: ready by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 5, Funny

    >> CEOs have an advantage...because only they have a total view of the organization.

    A CEO fluffer piece from an MBA diploma factory on a slow news Friday. My popcorn's ready...

    1. Re:popcorn: ready by wonderboss · · Score: 5, Informative

      Fluffer
      A fluffer is a person employed to keep a male porn performer's penis erect on the set. These duties, which do not necessarily involve touching the actors, are considered part of the makeup department. Wikipedia

      LMAO

      --
      more cowbell
  2. Summary: Managers use buzzwords by MobyDisk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    TLDR: Mid-level managers use the word "strategy" to mean BS things that are not strategies. If you groan when you hear the word "leverage" and "synergize" then you aren't one of those people, and there is nothing new in the article.

    I found the article confusing because it is clearly aimed at people who can't tell buzzwords from reality. I didn't understand how anyone could use the word "strategy" to mean anything else. It wasn't until I saw the examples and realized "ohhh... THOOOSE kinds of people."

    1. Re:Summary: Managers use buzzwords by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 5, Funny

      You need to get on board. Come in for the big win. Once all the stakeholders come to the table, we'll be properly able to leverage our synergies (as soon as our strategy is tee'd-up). This will be impactful and allow us to pivot to innovation.

  3. These are all military terms by Zorro · · Score: 5, Funny

    So why is it that Military terms are used for business?

    You want to make money and not destroy an enemy nation.

    Suggest "Thief's Cant" is actually more useful.

    Instead of "Revenue" say "Loot". Instead of "Customer" say "Mark."

  4. s/Strategic/Satanic/g by Greyfox · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought it'd be neat to write a virus that lived on network printers and would replace every instance of the word "Strategic" with the word "Satanic" when printing. Sadly, there didn't seem to be any way to open a network socket from the PostScript(tm) layer of the printer, so it would have been unable to spread properly. The "Satanic Plans for Q2" transparencies would definitely have spiced up the board meetings.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  5. Most things CEO say are probably wrong. by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The key to success is the following.
    1. A product or service good enough not to get legal action against you.
    2. A sales and marketing team who can exaggerate how great this product is without crossing the line and making legal actions against you, and who knows the people who have the pockets to buy the product.
    If you are going to error, you should error on the side of getting legal action, because if you sell more then the cost of the legal you are still making out.
    3. Don't barrow more money then you are able to bring in in the long term (Like Toys R' Us and iHeart Media).

    Me, I have too much respect for my work to get past #1. And I suck at sales.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.