Famed physicist Richard Feynman often pointed to this Buddhist proverb: Every person “is given the key to the gates of heaven; the same key also opens the gates of hell.”
Strategy works the same way.
The same strategy can result in a variety of outcomes and consequences. That’s because strategy itself is always connected to action that is situated in a moment of time. Every moment is unique to itself, so it wraps inside it a plethora of constraints, challenges, and obstacles.
In reality, strategy is the coordination of action against emerging obstacles. The key word is emerging. Problems and obstacles never stand still.
Worse yet, they evolve, sometimes into nastier issues. A strategy is meant to deal with this ever-changing reality. Strategy connects tactics and goals in a planful way. Because everything is always in flux and changing, the same strategy applied to the same problem or opportunity can produce very different outcomes.
There’s an allegory in cooking circles: Give five master chefs the same recipe and ingredients and they will produce five distinctive meals.
The point being that a reliance on a set strategy is not a good predictor of outcomes. A strategy needs to evolve alongside the changing dynamics of the problem or opportunity. When a strategy shifts and adapts, it becomes something new and different, even if those changes are small or undetected.
While execution plays a central role in creating outcomes, it is actually the developing strategy that has the greatest influence. Yet, leaders and organizations commonly set a strategy and then sit back and watch. They become overly committed to a single pathway forward without acknowledging the dynamic of an ever-changing context.
The best leaders adjust, tweak and alter the foundational strategy with great frequency. Perhaps not every day or week, but often. When the key performance indicators suggest an issue with achieving desired outcomes, leaders learn to adapt or they must accept the consequences of a failed strategy.
Changes in strategy rarely require abandonment or full-scale revision. Most strategies or plans evolve by adding pieces and emphasizing key issues. On occasion, a dynamic strategy must change course or revoke some of its working premises as changes in the environment require more than mere tweaking. Not to worry. There is no perfect strategy, nor a perfect leader who might perfect it.
Is your team strategy dynamic and evolving? Can you point to adjustments and changes in the original strategy? Is the time ripe for more alterations or is this the moment to refresh and create a brand-new strategy?
Tough questions that require active leadership.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
