What do Strategists Really Do?

Many people use the word strategy without the correct understanding of the word. ?In everyday language within leadership and management teams and in many companies, organisations, businesses, economies and societies, the word strategy means a lot of different things that are not strategy at all. I have written a full article on this subject. Again,??in more than 90 percent of companies, organisations, economies and businesses, people talk about strategy but they never talk much about the strategist. I have also written an article explaining what makes a strategist and strategist. Today I want to shed some light on what strategists really do.

The strategist has a critical and very difficult task. He or she plays many roles of which the main one is deciding how to deal with a situation. The strategist’s work is very paradoxical in that the more difficult the situation and the most difficult it is to produce a desired result or outcome, the more the strategist is wanted. When things are normal and when a situation is easy to resolve or goal or result easy to produce, the strategist is not required.

In a company or business where you are happy with the status quo in terms of performance and results, you probably do not need a strategist although it carries a huge risk if you have no idea why and how you are producing that performance or results.

The first critical role of a strategist is the chief situation manager. The second role is that of critical decisions-maker in relation to a situation or desired results. The third role is leading in the formulation of courses or action to maintain the situation, change the situation or go after an object and achieve it. In other words, the strategist is responsible for masterminding the achievement of desired results in a given situation. In this regard, the strategist is responsible for the overarching decisions regarding a situation or state of affairs and the formulation of the overall strategy for effectively dealing with the situation. It is important to note this often missed aspect of strategy;

Strategy is not just about what to do; it is also about what not to do.

This means that the strategist, over assessing the overall situation, can decide or recommend not to take any action regarding the situation if the strategist considers that taking action can be too costly or can lead to no successful outcomes.

In the case of war, a strategist can advise against not going to war.

In the case of a business turnaround, a strategist can advise against any attempts at a business or company turnaround and instead advise a different but more beneficial course of action.

Many people think that strategy always involves elaborate planning; no! Sometimes strategy is simply seeing something of significance or importance that non-strategists are not seeing.

·??????A strategist can spot opportunities that non-strategists do not see and that is strategy

·??????A strategist can spot weaknesses that everyone else is not seeing and help the company, organise become aware of the weakness and deal with it.

·??????A strategist can figure out how to deal with a situation and still that is strategy

·??????A strategist can see patterns in a situation that non-strategists can’t see and that is also part of strategy

There is a misconception that a strategist is all about the long term or big picture; these are half-truth. The strategist is both about the big picture and the small picture; both the long term and the short term. The strategist is about the situation and results. The strategist is about the whole as well as about the parts of the whole.

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?Simon Bere, 2023