Strategy is not about “Choices.”
In my upbringing as a strategist, I was trained on the classic theoretical perspective that “strategy is about making choices.” As an apprentice, I took those words at face value. But as my strategic know-how matured, the idea that “strategy = choices” just didn’t sit right with me. The more I helped clients solve real problems with creativity, the more I realized that “choices” are actually the least creative part of the strategic process (and therefore the least valuable part). Anyone can generate choices, but how do you ensure that those choices are good choices?
Strategy is about “Thinking.”
So then how have I come to understand strategy? Well— to me, strategy is much simpler and straightforward than “choice.” Claiming that strategy is about choices doesn’t make sense to the average person on the street. That’s why I think about strategy in a much more straightforward manor. I believe strategy is about thinking (and thinking effectively).
Logical, connected questions are the basic units of strategy.
The Strategic Process (Question, Choose, Repeat)