Good discussion, thank you. From my own perspective, strategy has been taffy-pulled beyond any real meaning or value. I've foynd myself saying "pragmatic" more than "strategic" when it comes to planning requests, especially within the past 2-3 years.
I've also noticed less demand for strategic plans/planning by client orgs themselves and more demamd/requirement from funders that proof of a plan (any plan) emerged or evolved during something that involved strategy.
To be fair, I do know groups that tout their adaptive, reactive, creative, innovative etc selves more than thier strategic personae. But saying something is strategic instead of proving it's effective, valuable, beneficial, useful is just weird.
Dislcosure: I say this as some who "does strategy". But the actiony/implementy kind not the thinky kind. 😎
Thanks, Ryan! Eric and I take it a step further in an upcoming episode where we break down the elements of “strategy” into tiers: Essential, Important, and Overrated. I’ll be curious what you think about that one, too.
Also, If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow the phrase “taffy-pulled.” Absolutely brilliant.
please feel free to use! and thanks to you both for keeping this topic front and center, especially now. if there's any way forward away from the strategmire we've been saddled with, I'm game...
Good discussion, thank you. From my own perspective, strategy has been taffy-pulled beyond any real meaning or value. I've foynd myself saying "pragmatic" more than "strategic" when it comes to planning requests, especially within the past 2-3 years.
I've also noticed less demand for strategic plans/planning by client orgs themselves and more demamd/requirement from funders that proof of a plan (any plan) emerged or evolved during something that involved strategy.
To be fair, I do know groups that tout their adaptive, reactive, creative, innovative etc selves more than thier strategic personae. But saying something is strategic instead of proving it's effective, valuable, beneficial, useful is just weird.
Dislcosure: I say this as some who "does strategy". But the actiony/implementy kind not the thinky kind. 😎
Thanks, Ryan! Eric and I take it a step further in an upcoming episode where we break down the elements of “strategy” into tiers: Essential, Important, and Overrated. I’ll be curious what you think about that one, too.
Also, If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow the phrase “taffy-pulled.” Absolutely brilliant.
please feel free to use! and thanks to you both for keeping this topic front and center, especially now. if there's any way forward away from the strategmire we've been saddled with, I'm game...
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Ryan! Agree that we should be assessing based on effectiveness vs strategy.