Strategy concept

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Understanding the Strategy concept

Introduction

In this wiki we will try to distinguish between the strategic cycle and strategy as the second step in that cycle: vision, strategy, tactics, mission.

Many commercial, pseudo-scientific offerings misplace tactics for vision and strategy. Instead, they let you believe tactical actions will fulfil the company's mission and realise your (long term future) vision.

Strategy is primarily about thinking in systems, combining rational and creative thinking, and daring to face complexity. In this, we have to look for connections, opportunities and possibilities. Of course, strategic reality does not offer a fixed outcome. However, it does provide a better view of what is going on and helps you develop sharper perspectives on the future.

Our society has given us many freedoms. Everything is possible and allowed. But is that still the correct route for the significant issues we face? Aren't some solutions better, more sustainable, more ethical than others? We need to take a stronger stand on critical points about what is right and what is not and draw consequences from that.

How can we shape this in everyday practice? By bringing three questions back to your issues:

• Do we have a sufficiently broad picture of what the issue entails, even outside our field of expertise? If not, who can help you broaden and deepen your view further?
• If we set aside our gut feeling about what is right to do here, what interests, values, and goals drive our issue?
• How do we develop our way of looking further towards a strategic, ethical and optimistic vision?

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About strategic cycle methods

Thinking / deciding steps

All strategic methods emphasise one step of the strategic cycle (deciding) / empirical cycle (executing), starting from that point on. So it is good to know which one suits you best.

Starting point		Vision	Strategy	Tactics	Mission
	Start	Customer value	Products & services	Capacity & competences	Enterprise value
	Aim for	Products & services	Capacity & competences	Enterprise value	Customer value
DREAM	MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab	Sense	Model	Plan	Act	SMPA	Rodney A. Brooks
THINK	BPM	Strategize	Plan	Monitor	corrective Actions	SPMA
		Do	Study	Act	Plan		W. Edwards Deming
DECIDE	Toyota Production System	Plan	Do	Check	Act	PDCA
	US Air Force	Observe	Orient	Decide	Act	OODA	John Boyd

Implementing / executing step

Starting point		Vision	Strategy	Tactics	Mission
	Start	Customer value	Products & services	Capacity & competences	Enterprise value
	Aim for	Products & services	Capacity & competences	Enterprise value	Customer value
DO	'Sturen op resultaat'	Create	Refine	Align	Finalize & Transmit	CRAFT	Anton Vanhoucke
		Standard	Do	Check	Act	SDCA	Kaizen
	Personal	Wish	Outcome	Obstacle	Plan	WOOP	Gabriele Oettingen