How to Not Use Strategy:

No word is used as often to hide incompetence, just like “strategy.” 

In my work, I often revisit an organization’s strategy with a founder or CEO, only to see that some basics are missing. 

Worse…

I usually see the word being misused. 

The word is used to hide something else:

Strategy is too often used to mask procrastination, politics, and lack of understanding. 

I call those the “3 strategy masks”.

You need to spot these because if not 3 things happen: 

• Ownership suffers

• talented folks that like to build leave 

• collective intelligence suffers. 

Here are the “3 strategy masks” and how to spot them: 

A. Procrastination

Hiding behind strategy often masks procrastination. Strategy can be the word you use to hide your not-doing. 

Call it “Paralysis by analysis”.

-> Are you using the word strategy to mask inaction?

B. Politics

Strategy is often used to establish an unnecessary hierarchy of power.

The narrative is as follows:

The founder/CEO is the only one “capable” of doing the strategy. As a result, “the strategy owner” is the only one capable of taking decisions.

-> Are you in charge of strategy because it gives you power over others?

C. Not-understanding

Most strategies I see read like someone throwing “spaghetti on a wall” to see what sticks.

That is trying it all because you have no idea what makes your sauce special. 

-> Is strategy your go-to word for “let’s try it all simultaneously”? 

Are you using “strategy” as a filler? Have you discovered other “strategy masks”?

If so, please share what you have learned with me. 

Next week, we will explore the 6 strategy traps most CEOs fall into and how to avoid them.

Yours,

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