The first truth about strategy: Decisions live in uncertainty; not despite it, but because of it. Sip on that! Wocktail #8, The Tension Tonic, speaks to the cross-currents at the heart of strategic planning.
Strategic planning is often portrayed as a straight-forward, linear sequence:
Set Vision ➡️ Define Goals ➡️ Develop Roadmap ➡️ Align Team ➡️ Execute
In practice, it is rarely as neat as a favourite libation, and far from the predictable outcome its recipe might suggest. In reality, it is far more dynamic and iterative.
True strategy emerges in navigating the push and pull between three powerful forces:
✅ Vision – the destination an organization is working toward
✅ Data – empirical insights including signals and constraints
✅ Alignment – the will and readiness of stakeholders to move forward
Strategy takes shape within the interplay of aspiration, evidence and momentum. While expectations of clarity can lead to hesitation and delay, a heavy reliance on intuition or consensus often results in plans that impress but fail to deliver.
🔑 The key is to build clarity through productive, structured tension. This means surfacing divergent viewpoints, making trade-offs visible, and engaging with the discomfort inherent in decision-making, rather than avoiding it.
💡 If strategic planning feels too smooth, it is worth interrogating what might be overlooked.
💭 Strategic planning is uncomfortable on purpose. How has your organization harnessed discomfort to inform and strengthen critical decisions during the strategic planning process?