Strategy is often treated as an elite activity — devised by a few ‘thinkers1’ and handed down to ‘doers’ to execute without question.
But today’s ‘doers’ are knowledge workers with their own insights. When they’re left out of the strategy process, they push back, creating resistance, or even sabotage.
This split between ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’ is a recipe for failure, as a strategy that isn’t executed well is useless. But operating without a strategy is aimless2.
So, how do you unite strategic thinking with doing?
It’s not through annual brainstorming sessions. You need a system that lets everyone see the situation clearly, understand how it’s changing, and discover options — together.