Are you an agile strategist or a deck builder?

The better part of my career is classified as a “strategist.” You know, that team of people who shows up, performs a “discovery session” and then goes off for months on end to “research” only to come back with a big ass deck. Yes, we have all looked at the lower corner of a person’s presentation and seen it tip the scale into three digits, that is about the same time we look to see how much coffee there is.

By the time we are on page 63 of 147, the “strategy” has been rendered obsolete because a change in the marketplace, consumer behavior or platforms where this “strategy” was supposed to live happened. Ah, the dreaded deck. Even us who like to develop plan hate creating them, for the sole reason is that most of the ideas in the decks never see the light of day. 

Now, there may be the rare type of “strategist” who considers their job done once they hit save of the 76th version of their 16x9 powerpoint file using the client's old template. But for those of us who like to see our ideas come to life and go to the Dropbox graveyard perhaps it’s time to reframe how strategist works on your project. 

Many of us have already done this without even knowing it, like that time your creative lead ask you to help review to make sure the execution matches the goals, or when you have to interpret metrics to ensure the project is delivering as promised.

This HBR piece on agile strategy is an excellent starting point to help you re-think the role of the "strategist” on your next project into two distinct parts, vision and improvisation.

Abstract ”As  strategy is becoming more fluid — more like software that needs constant upgrading — two alternative concepts are emerging: vision and improvisation. Vision incorporates the long-term, if not permanent, purpose and principles of an organization, which serve as the north star for all its actions. Improvisation suggests a fundamental openness and flexibility at the tactical level — the willingness to explore, experiment, and iterate. When you incorporate both into strategy creation, it becomes a transformative event rather than a long-winded process; it’s a thick experience rather than a thorough exercise."

Read the full article here - https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FqsVCok-make-your-strategy-more-agile/f-4fe20fc5bb%2Fhbr.org