How we use the language of strategy affects the quality of our strategy. Unclear definitions and ambiguity in the language of strategy thinking, underlines the strategic thinking, the conversation about strategy and ultimately its implementation. The clearer we are in our language of strategy, the clearer our strategies will be.
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by Phil Jones | 14 Mar, 2018 | Language of strategy
This is part of a series of articles about the language of strategy. We cannot have a discussion about strategy, and the related subject of tactics, without a military element. As we know, our word strategy has its origins in Ancient Greek. It derives from the Greek...
by Phil Jones | Updated 14 Mar, 2018 | Language of strategy
If we are to talk about strategy is it worth understanding the origins of the word strategy and some of its variations. The origins of the word strategy lies in Ancient Greece The origins of the word strategy and its use, comes from the ancient Greek. They used it in...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Language of strategy
Whilst watching a nature programme, the narrator described how “the film crew strategically placed the cameras to watch the wildlife”. What did he mean? Is being strategic, simply Strategy as ‘we thought about it’? Can we tell...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Language of strategy, What is strategy
Over the years I have read many strategy documents. Some have over-simplified their strategy to the extent that it is hard to tell what to do. What they write down sounds impressive, but is not a strategy. What are the common strategy simplification...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Language of strategy
“You can strategically add strategy to any strategic sentence to give it any strategic meaning you strategically want it to strategically have.” Yes indeed folks, many people add strategy to their sentences to make them sound important. But...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Language of strategy
What is a strategic objective. Well, to start with a strategic objective is NOT a strategy. Having a strategic objective is not sufficient to make a strategy. I don’t care if you call it an objective, a strategic objective, a goal or even a vision. ...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Language of strategy, Strategic planning, Thought provokers
A strategy document serves a different purpose to a strategic plan. Confusion between these different documents causes good strategies to be described badly. The difference between strategy document and strategic plan At Excitant, we make a very clear...
by Phil Jones | Updated 22 Feb, 2018 | Decision Making & Decision Taking, How we make & take decisions, Language of strategy, Quality of conversation
Some time ago I was talking to a client about some decisions that they were dealing with and the problems they were having. The situation involved their strategy, who was involved in the discussions and who had decided what, already. I suggested that the heart of...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Agile & learning organisations, Emergent strategy, Language of strategy
Deliberate or Emergent strategy: when considering strategy, planning and implementation, one choice is whether to have a strategy and a strategy management process, that is deliberate or emergent. There are, broadly, two ways to look at your strategy process:...