Tag Archives: strategy

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rumelt

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Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt is a well-known business and strategy book from 2011. Its central concept is focus — and more precisely, focus + asymmetry: finding where a small, well-directed push moves the system far more than a large, unfocused effort. The purpose of that push is value creation — producing the greatest positive impact for customers, stakeholders, and society with the least waste of time, capital, and attention.
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No Strategy, No Future: Why Companies That Drift, Sink

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I was talking to my mate Ed the other day. It was one of those lets talk about anything conversations. We both have extensive consulting experience so perhaps it isn’t too surprising that we ended up talking about organisational strategy. Or the lack of it. A surprisingly high percentage of companies we have encountered lack an defined organisation strategy beyond “keep doing what we’re doing and hope”. Personally, I believe every company, regardless of size or industry, needs a strategy. Here’s why.
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Purpose Finding: Only solve problems you need to

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Brian Williamson has commented that although “problem-solving is important and good when you are stuck. I’m convinced we are in need of some more purpose finding.” I agree and finding purpose manifests in several places in my approach.
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A Clear Vision is Essential for Agile Programme Management

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Search the Lean-Agile literature and you’ll struggle to find much mention of vision. Agile is all about short planning horizons, releasing stuff early and often, and learning. And a vision doesn’t necessarily help with that.

My direction? Anywhere. Because one is always nearer by not keeping still

The quote is from Engleby by Sebastian Faulks (cited Good Reads) and pretty much sums up the Agile attitude. Movement is the key rather than the direction of movement. Most Agile initiatives (i.e. projects and product development) are simply about building high priority stuff now, so it is no wonder that the Lean-Agile methods are relatively silent about the future.

In contrast a programme is about organisation change and the vision helps define the future state and attract buy-in – it is a “Postcard from the future”. A clear vision is an essential mechanism for staying aligned with business strategy. Alignment is, of course, one of my three threads within Agile Programme Management. The vision should be stable; not static but broadly resistant to change. Despite Agilists desire to “Embrace Change” a radically changing vision suggests the programme is no longer aligned with strategy and hence raises the question of whether the programme should be shut down.
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