Participative strategy - "mind the gap"...

We are delighted to share our latest practitioner research report into the art of strategy and strategic engagement -?Minding the gap: the challenges of strategy work that has integrity and makes a difference in the world.

If you would like to join us for an online session exploring key themes on the 24th?of March, click on this link:?https://calendly.com/juliebritten/metalogue-virtual-client-event-24-march-2023

In the meantime, to whet your appetite the key findings from the research are below. And you can also download the full report here:?https://metalogue.co.uk/research/#report1

Happy reading!

Executive Summary?Key findings

The question of ‘whose strategy is this?’ looms large and is becoming figural.

In the past, boards and executive teams focused their attention primarily on satisfying immediate shareholder and stakeholder expectations. Increasingly, they are now being asked to consider the impact their organisations have on the wider ecosystem, through frameworks such as ESG (Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance) and EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion). This can raise fundamental questions about purpose and demands an approach that is authentic and goes beyond minimum standards.

Purpose frames strategy which shapes purpose.

Treating purpose and identity as a perfunctory part of the strategy process is no longer good enough! Internal and external stakeholders have become more strident when they detect any difference between the ‘espoused’ purpose and the ‘lived’ experience of the strategy process. It is no longer enough for clever strategy teams to do the work in isolation. Strategy needs to be developed in a way that effectively engages a much broader range of organisational stakeholders and is coherent with the actions that are being taken on the ground.

Approaches to strategy are shaped by beliefs that are usually out of our awareness.

Metaphors and founding stories determine what we think strategy is there to do for the organisation, what a good strategy looks like, who owns it, and when and how stakeholders are involved in the process of strategising. There is a myriad of metaphors that underpin strategy work in organisations, though they are rarely explicit. Conscious and deliberate consideration of these reveals unexpressed assumptions, and more importantly, allows for new possibilities in strategy development and engagement.

Strategy doesn’t have to be like dentistry.

Many people’s experiences of strategy work were both painful and passive. In contrast, a few saw it as something to look forward to, where they found it creative and energising. The difference seemed to be whether people were actively involved or feeling ‘done to’. Rather than having to go through the usual motions and process loops, the experience felt more alive when it was part of a continuous and meaningful process. It particularly helps if time is set aside for engagement early rather than when strategic thinking has already been concluded.

Strategy needs to be more like dancing.

Where we place our attention matters in strategy. It requires us to attend both to longer term and external stakeholder perspectives and to the realities of the organisation as it is now. To move fast, and at times to move slowly. To dance alone, and at times to follow the beat. This requires leaders and practitioners to be more conscious, not just of the pace they are setting, but of who they are dancing with, and what their experience is.

To download the full report click here:?https://metalogue.co.uk/research/#report1