Why Some Strategic Decisions Don't Result In the Right Outcome

Stick with me, and I’ll tell you what this means to you—the business leader—without going into chapter and verse.

Okay, let’s take a brief look at how many businesses tackle corporate strategy and the strategic planning process.

You, or someone else, thinks… we need a strategy… people set to work, and define in advance what the business will do. The focus is on analysis, the strategy planning process, and hopefully, implementation.

We often assume strategy is prescriptive. That business leaders somehow have real insight into how the business will operate in the future.

But can we accurately predict the future?

But, this assumes a predictable environment. What’s more, this approach rarely considers the organization’s politics, culture, and leadership.

So, what happens?

Strategic Decisions Don’t Guarantee the Right Results

I’d argue that for many organizations, fully-fledged strategies rarely exist. Rather, it is the routines, culture, and politics that lead to decisions about what is done and what is not. And, that’s not a rational process of analysis and choice.

Strategic decisions don’t always result in planned moves.

Let me explain…