Common Mistakes and Pitfalls in Defining Strategy

Common mistakes I've encountered during my work in various positions. Recently, I've noticed an increase in mistakes made by candidates (manager positions) during their trial periods or even during the initial screening. This trend seems to be driven by the growing number of impostors who exaggerate the levels of hard and soft skills they claim to possess.

Before we dive right in, let's quickly recap what strategy is and why the following observations, based on what I've heard, read, or seen from people - are considered mistakes (conceptual, I would add).

Good one from Roger Martin :

Strategy is the act of making an integrated set of choices, which positions the organization to win

Regarding Strategy:

• Strategy is not a plan - both are necessary and complementary to each other;
• Strategy is not the same as mission and vision;
• Two things that need to be considered as a whole - strategy and execution;
• There exist several types of strategies in the company that complement each other, and when combined, form a cohesive corporate strategy.

The most common misunderstandings managers have about technical strategies:

1. A lack of understanding of the company's strategic goals, mission and vision. It sounds surprising, but I've often seen technical strategies and roadmaps being developed without a clear grasp of the company's "high-level" goals. Unfortunately, not all managers emphasize the importance of aligning with the company's vision. Sounds a bit absurd, doesn't it?
2. Mistaking the company's goals for the department's strategic goals. When a department's strategy is incorrectly aligned with the company’s broader goals, the chosen models and methods may not align with the department's specific objectives. This misalignment can lead to a misinterpretation of the department's purpose, resulting in efforts being focused inefficiently.
3. Mistaking the department's strategic goals for the company's goals. No further comment needed. The indication that the person is either entirely out of touch with reality (broader context) or has been severely misinformed.
4. Confusing an action with a strategy. It may seem like a bad joke, but these two are often mistaken for each other. A plan is not a strategy. While an action plan is typically set in stone, a strategy should be regularly reviewed and adjusted — at least annually, if not more frequently.
5. No due dilligence conducted on the on the chosen set of methods and analysis approaches. It's expected to provide justification for why these specific methods were selected: which gaps these methods address and how the chosen analysis approaches offer better clarity on the Whys, Whats, and Hows.
6. Strategy lacks clarity and concreteness. The strategy may include the right phrases, but if they aren’t actionable, they’re just a pompous collection of words.
7. The strategy plan is not distinctive. Meaning no clear path to potential success is outlined: The strategy fails to show how the company will achieve its desired state or position, offering nothing that sets it apart from others.
8. Lack of coherence in the scheduled steps and chosen activities. Ideas, approaches, and methods should complement each other, creating a cohesive whole where each element contributes to the overall strategy. Without this coherence, individual items hold little value on their own.
9. Strategy planning without paying attention to OKRs Coming up with OKRs can be challenging, but without clearly defined final targets and a way to measure deviations, there’s no way to predict whether the chosen strategy will be successful.Another one from Roger Martin :

OKRs must be a complement to strategy, not a substitute for strategy

The list doesn't end here. With this first brick laid, the series on strategy, vision, and mission has officially begun. Stay tuned for the upcoming articles.