Good Strategy Bad Strategy - Introduction

The word "strategy" has become a verbal tic.

Simply being ambitious is not a strategy. Strategy is about how an organisation will move forward which is figuring out how to enhance the organisation's interests. Many people assume that a strategy is a big-picture overall direction, divorced from any specific action. But defining strategy as broad concepts, thereby leaving out action, creates a wide chasm between "strategy" and "implementation".

Good Strategy is about identifying one or two critical issues in the situation - the pivot points that can multiply the effectiveness of effort - and then focuses and concentrated action and resources on them. A good strategy contains 3 elements - diagnosis, guiding policy and coherent action.

Bad strategy guides by embracing the language of broad goals, ambition, vision and values. It tends to skip over pesky details such as problems. It ignores the power of choice and focus, trying to accommodate a multitude of conflicting demands and interests.