Strategy is not Linear
Strategy
Strategy only looks clean and neat after it has proven successful. The strategy diagrams show all the components fitting neatly together like a puzzle and all moving towards the desired outcome. In hindsight, all the decisions look obvious. Actually, it may be difficult from looking at a series of neat diagrams to know which ones resulted in success and which ones were huge failures. The diagrams are the product of tools like SWOT and scenario planning that guide strategist to make sense of their environments and identify competitive positions. Such tools may give the impression that strategy can be…
Read more.Is It Wrong to Want Better Leaders
Leadership
I found myself getting more depressed as I visited with family members at a recent gathering. Conversations around the question, “so how is your work going?” followed a similar pattern. An initial expression that said, “that is the last thing I want to talk about” followed by a grudging indirect comment that things could be better, leading to a tidal wave of complaints. The conversations also had one other thing in common. The complaints didn’t relate to the type of work performed but all related to the work environment with the primary culprit being the manager. Perhaps I am biased since…
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