Strategy as an organic system

The notion of an organized, planned, tidy strategy development and implementation process, whether it be for a multinational, or a small local business is profoundly flawed by the simple fact that it requires forecasting accurately a number of things, including many beyond the control and understanding of any business, and the only thing we know for sure about forecasts is that they will be wrong.

Strategy development and implementation is an organic process, filled with false starts, blind alleys, and pain, all of which add to the evolutionary “learning” process, which sometimes delivers commercial sustainability. 

To be useful  strategy implementation  must have the capacity to “learn” , to see the impact of its actions, and adjust to accommodate changes, misunderstandings, and opportunities.

Most SME’s do not think much about strategy, they are usually tactical in outlook, and that is a failing. Strategy is as important to a small business selling through “alternative” channels, as it is to the multinationals selling through established channels. 

Only with hindsight is strategy implementation an orderly process, when all the speed humps can be ignored or explained away