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We define strategy as:
DOING
THE RIGHT THINGS
RIGHT
-
WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES
IN THE RIGHT STRUCTURE
AND THE RIGHT CULTURE
-
TO REALIZE THE RIGHT THINGS
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In most textbooks you'll find either a simple one dimensional definition of strategy or a more complex explanation.
An example of the first one is:
"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations".
by Johnson and Scholes from the book 'Exploring Corporate Strategy'.
Mintzberg on the other hand, in his co-authored book 'Strategy Safari', provides us with a more complex definition when he introduces the five P's of strategy.
Strategy as:
- Plan
- Pattern
- Position
- Perspective
- Ploy
But if we look closely, Minztberg's 'complex' approach is nothing more than looking at strategy from a few different angles. Or better each P highlighting one of the key elements.
1 and 2 are the same in the sense that a plan is forward looking and a pattern is establishe when looking back.
3 and 4 are also the same in the sense that they are a clever way of presenting the famous Ansoff matrix.
5 the ploy Mintzberg introduces is nothing more than a subjective and qualitative statement concerning a specific approach or way of reaching a goal.
The main thing all strategies, or definitions there of, have in common is that there's always a sense of:
- Today's situation (however elaborate or minimal described)
- Tomorrow situation and
- How to get there.
In other words getting from a to b.
In order to get from a to b you need to know the following things:
- Where is a?
- Where is b?
- What ways lead to b?
- What condition am I in?
The last question is a question often overlooked but rather important. If you decide that the best way from a to b is across the river and you decide to swim then knowing that you can swim the distance between the shores is imperative.
In other words:
DOING
THE RIGHT THINGS
RIGHT
-
WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES
IN THE RIGHT STRUCTURE
AND THE RIGHT CULTURE
-
TO REALIZE THE RIGHT THINGS
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