Image by Pablo Garcia Saldana

The Problem with Strategy

Luke Schoknecht
Aug 27, 2017 · 4 min read

A lot of the strategy we see seems to be broken.

Yet we need good strategies more than ever. We are drowning in choices everyday, what should we do, what should we focus on? A well designed strategy answers this question so simply that it removes any analysis by paralysis. It helps your team act with direction and focus.

So why is good strategy so elusive?

Complexity Pretending to Be Strategy

Goals & Tactics Are Not a Strategy

Failure to Diagnose & Make the Hard Decisions

Fortunately, there is a better way.

Richard Rumelt’s Perspective

The Elements of Good Strategy

Develop a Guiding Principle
Design simple high-level principles to overcome or exploit the challenges identified in the discovery phase. Basing the principle on insights from the discovery work is your best bet.

Actions
Deliver actions and tactics that are coherent with one another to accomplish the guiding principle. It is important to specify what we won’t do here as much as what we will do.

Measures
How will we know if the strategy is working? When will we review? This is the time to develop KPI’s, not at the beginning.

There are some great examples of this framework being used in this slideshare that further explains Rumelt’s approach.

We have always been drawn to strategy at Raine & Makin, and I have often wondered why. It makes sense to us now because what you see above is ‘design’ in its purest form. As designers we bring a human centred approach to strategy. This is based on our formal education in using research, creativity and clear communication to overcome commercial challenges.

The Main Point


I’m co-founder and director of Raine & Makin, a purpose led design company. We help organisations solve problems and achieve success by putting people’s needs at the heart of everything they do. I write about experience design, strategy and innovation. If you find some value from my musings, please give some love below ;)

Raine & Makin

Thoughts, ideas & insights from Raine & Makin

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Luke Schoknecht

Written by

Co-founder & Strategy Lead at Raine & Makin, a purpose-led design company. http://raineandmakin.com

Raine & Makin

Thoughts, ideas & insights from Raine & Makin

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