Is this a or the strategy?

Strategy points to the future, and often strategy talk envisages growth and development. Could we actually say that these two are the elementary elements which establish THE strategy. First, THE strategy, and therefore any strategy talk is prone to revolve around a view toward the future. It could be said that strategy is about future. Secondly in this typical strategy talk the second element is positive growth and development. Typically THE strategy talk advocates the idea that the target or object of strategy work - which can be sometimes part of the world, sometimes our organization or department or perhaps some unit in our organization - is described to become much better than what it is now, thanks to THE strategy.

 

Do these elements encapsulate the essential essence of any strategy? Is this actually THE strategy, the very thing which is repeated in numerous situations in numerous presentations and talks with some minor adjustments and context related words and terms?

 

Let us see. Would it make sense if some strategy talk would not revolve about future but about the past. Sounds a bit odd. Would it make sense if some executives would present a strategy where things go downhill? Again sounds worryingly odd. However, before we completely ignore these odd sounding strategy talk options, we must dare to look what is happening in the real world. Are countries, regions, organizations and all different entities and units constantly climbing towards ever increasing success? Unfortunately not, it almost seems that journey downhill is almost as common event as ascent to the next level of success.

Hence could it also make sense to talk about past and also about problems, possible reasons of not succeeding, when we would talk about strategy. Should we in a way change a tone of whole strategy discussion. In this changed tone we would talk more about real people, real organizations and real challenges on the market place, and perhaps a bit less about plans, goals and aspirations. Here I am first to emphasize that striving towards improvement, and therefore things like Inspiring goals and challenging aspirations are of course elementary part of strategy and sensible strategy work.

So let us first take a setting where strategy discussion would not ignore past, but would actually very carefully analyze what we have achieved and what we may not have reached, why we have done what we have done. It is very likely that a lot what has been real and possible for us so far will continue to be true to us in the future. Many of those things which define us as people and as actors in organizational context, will continue to define us 1st of January, when new strategy season starts. And again I am first to emphasize that change is possible and actually everything is changing all the time. Also genuine decision making and choosing new paths to proceed are elementary parts of sensible strategy work. Yet the arrow of time in strategy talk should not point solely to the future, understanding past which still defines us and  the way we can perform our combined organizational effort is also very, very important.

How about the second element of THE strategy, typically a very heavy emphasize of growth and development and a tendency to gloss over problems and challenges. Certainly sometimes diminishing sales and other downturn features are included into strategy talk, often these are such issues which people already start to see in a similar way. However perhaps we should really try to uncover problems and challenges as early as possible and even raise up issues which are not nice and which are not yet generally recognized and which are also still heavily debatable. That would offer an opportunity to start to create profound new understanding about the changing real world and thus create a basis to start to do corrective measures as soon as possible, well before "the shit hits the fan" as the profound saying evocatively expresses the phenomenon.

 

Hence a neat and clear arrow pointing up and the future is not THE strategy. Strategy is tough work in real world and strategical decisions must be constructed on real world events and complexities. Strategy does not hide, strategy uncovers and reveals. Hiding would mean a movement from a real world into the world of plans and aspirations. Real strategy keeps the complex reality in the front and as clearly visible as possible. In that world strategy is a powerful tool that may eventually mean that the desired movement up and forward becomes really possible, and climbing to the next stratum of success happens in real world not solely in hopeful plans.

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE - LINKED INEXTRICABLY TO EACH OTHER

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

LINKED INEXTRICABLY TO EACH OTHER

It is very common to encounter  the following wisdom: live the present moment, what has been has been and no one knows what will happen in the future. There is a lot wisdom in this idea, albeit it may be impossible for us as human beings to obey that wisdom in our life. In fact, it might be even awfull if we would only live in the present moment - no memories, no future; or what an earth that wisdom might actually mean. The wisdom of living in the present moment can also be challenged on the ground that past, present and future link inextricably to each other. It may be that past, present and future are more the same phenomenon than separate entities.

As a person who has studied accounting and T accounts I shy away of proceeding into very deep philosophical discussion about time and life (and probably the philosophy on its part shy away from me). However, I try say something about the concepts of past, present and future and how those concepts relate to the organizational life. This is very, very fascinating.

Let us start by exploring how those concepts are inextricably linked. I would propose that no organization knows exactly how good it is, where it is and what it can achieve. Instead people within organization tell stories and through those stories these matters are somehow settled, not in very exhaustive and straighforward way but at least to some extend. This also tells why stories are extremely important. Through stories we understand who we are, what we have echieved and what we may be able to do in the future.

Hence to some extend our action is based on stories, through stories we have created an understanding what we have done, where we are now and what we can try in the future. We create an conception what avenues and goals are within our reach.

At the same time the above said reveals the inextricable linkage between past, present and future. In order to know where we are now at the present moment we have to examine and interpret our past and also look in the future. The present situation has different taste if we think that future is bleak or full of extremely promising opportunities. And when we look to the future our understanding of our past and present will affect what we consider possible to try and achieve in the future.

Could it be that our stories about our past and present could for example hinder us to see some avenues to proceed? Certainly. On the basis of our understanding what we have been able to do in the past we may not even consider some options which at least in principle could be within our reach. What we may give up because of our stories? What we do not even see because our stories do not sensitise us to look that kind of opportunities? What new possibilities we might detect if we changed our stories?

Stories are powerfull tools in organizational life. So, will you tell the same old story in your next meeting? In case you decide to modify your story, do you think that you are still true to yourself? Good stories are not lies, they do not lead us to troubled waters, instead they help us to succeed in the future. And in case you have not been that active in storytelling front should you reconsider your position. Your stories could be worth of gold.