How to avoid painful strategy mistakes

How to avoid painful strategy mistakes: Spot the 6 strategy traps

All winning strategies are unique in their insight. 

But most bad strategies have something in common. 

According to Roger L. Martin, one of the leading strategy thinkers of our time, there are 6 ways an organization’s strategy can be problematic.

Mindful CEOs know the common traps they can fall into with their strategies.

They look out for these six signs that they are stuck in a “strategy trap.”

Watch out for these 6 strategy traps:

 1. The “Do It All” Strategy:

You fail to make choices. Everything becomes a priority.

Solution: Strategy is choice. Take daring sets of choices to win.

 2. The “Don Quixote” Strategy:

You attack competitive “walled cities.” You go after the strongest competitor first.

Solution: Pick where you play. Pivot to where you have a chance to win.

 3. The “Waterloo” Strategy:

You start wars on multiple fronts at the same time.

Solution: Doing too many things weakens focus. Focus on fewer, impactful efforts.

 4. The “Something for Everyone” Strategy:

You attempt to capture all consumers/channels/geographies /categories at once.

Solution: To create real value, choose to serve some constituents really well.

 5. The “Dreams Never Come True” Strategy:

You develop high-level aspirations and mission statements that never translate into action.

Solution: Choose where to play and how to win carefully.

 6. The “Program of the Month” Strategy: 

You settle for the same as your competitors: the same customers, the same strategy, the same choices. You look like everyone else. 

Solution: Obsess about your unique value.

Many organizations fail to define strategy, and even fewer know how to create a useful one.

So don’t be too sad if one of those applies to you.

I often spot one of those traps when I start working with an organization. Spotting a trap usually makes me happy, as I see quick wins the org can deploy quickly.

The good news: spotting a trap is the best way to develop a smart way out of it.

Where have you fallen for a strategy trap?

Let me know and just answer to this mail.


Yours,

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