We are on the verge of a revolution in strategy. While the signs may not be widely acknowledged yet, they are clear. And while these signs still mostly reveal the cracking of the old way of thinking, they also give reasons for optimism that something new is on its way. These are the eight signs:…
Recognizing that long-term planning doesn’t work anymore in a VUCA world, it is oftentimes argued that more attention should be given to the execution of strategy rather than only its generation. But, like the idea that your strategy should be more agile, we can question whether this is a good idea. Should strategy really move towards…
It is frequently argued that strategy’s holy grail—the pursuit of sustained competitive advantage—is futile in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Instead, so the argument goes, organizations should focus on agile strategy, thereby realizing a dynamic and continuous stream of short-term advantages. But is this really a good idea? Does making strategy more agile help? And…
How often are you completely relaxed, do you do things exactly the way you want them to do and are you completely in control? Probably less often than you would like. And how often do you feel stressed, insecure and lived by others? Probably more often than you would like. You are not the only…
Some people today feel the world is becoming increasingly stressful and difficult to grasp and cope with, both privately and in business. They see the world getting more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) and experience a constant pressure to perform. For entrepreneurs this is a challenge. They need to constantly keep up with what is going on in their markets and broader environment. But…
This is the last in a series of four articles on what strategy should look like in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). In the previous three articles I outlined the demands put on strategy by a world that is volatile, uncertain and complex. In this last article I close this discussion with outlining how your…
Strategy as we know it, is all about simplicity. Organizations are supposed to choose from three or four generic strategies, come up with simple, preferably one-phrase mission and vision statements and ideally have one key objective to which everything else contributes. Furthermore, the strategy toolbox is full of simple models and two-by-two matrices – SWOT, BCG matrix, growth matrix,…
In a world that is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), we can question whether the idea of strategy as we have known it for long is still valid. After all, under such challenging conditions, it is far from obvious that long-term plans, objectives and systematic analysis still serve their purpose. And if…
Traditionally, strategy is about making long-term plans and identifying the actions and resources that are needed for realizing those plans. Such a straightforward definition of strategy might have worked for a long time, but it doesn’t really work anymore in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. After all, how can you make reliable long-term plans…
It is quite popular to question the role of strategy in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Strategy under such challenging conditions is pointless, so the argument goes, because things change so fast and are so uncertain that any strategy is outdated as soon as it is formulated. And the world is too complex and ambiguous to…
Wherever we look around us, we find claims and concerns that the world is increasingly getting out of control. Whether it is the business press, the media more generally, or our personal conversations, we are witnessing an increased feeling of uncertainty, turbulence, and change. This feeling has recently culminated in the notion of ‘VUCA’, the idea that…
Throughout the past decades we find numerous terms in the popular business press and academic literature that refer to an increasing inability to grasp the world and deal with the things happening around us. Examples include uncertainty, turbulence, rapid change, dynamism, disruption, complexity, hyper-competition, high-velocity markets and flux. For a couple of years, the notion of…
