My Approach to Strategy

WHAT DO I MEAN BY STRATEGY?

One of the issues in writing or talking about strategy is the problem of a definition. The word ‘strategy’ is used is so many ways – even business gurus can’t agree on exactly what is and what isn’t strategy. Henry Mintzberg, one of the world’s foremost authors on strategy in business, often refers in his writings to 10 major ‘schools’ of strategy – each with its own definition and focus.

To me, Strategy must be C|R|A|F|T|E|D

Crafted Strategy

Let’s look first at the Consonants in the word CRaFTeD

Creative: You cannot take an ‘off-the-shelf’ strategy and expect really beneficial results – it needs to be created in the light of the specific situation your enterprise faces. It cannot be put together by formulae – it requires a mix of both left-brain analysis and synthesis and right-brain intuition, insight and flair.

Robust: (not Rigid!) Strategy must have a strong cohesive logic in order to deal with the pressures of the real world in which your enterprise operates.

Flexible: At the same time, strategy must be flexible enough to handle the rapid and dramatic changes that pervade our world today and impact the environment within which your enterprise operates.

Thinking Centred: Strategy is not centred in a report – it is a thinking mindset that is constantly involved in a cyclical process of insight, consideration, decision, application and evaluation.

Directional: Strategy must set a clear direction that the enterprise is to follow. Each department/division/business unit/team is then required to subsume their activities to this overarching direction. Note that I use the word ‘directional’ not ‘directive’.

These ‘consonant’ factors shape the strategy itself, but without the ‘vowels’ it will merely be a document that takes up space in a folder – be that on a computer disk or on a shelf.

Activated: Strategy must be put into practice – this is where an Action Plan is needed. What are the resources required (people, time, money) and how and when will they be made available? Who will control and manage the actionable projects? While, as Mintzberg puts it, “strategic planning is an oxymoron”, strategy without planning is just wasted effort.

Evaluated: When and How will the results of this activity be measured and evaluated? What are the ‘scorecard’ targets? What changes have taken place in the environment that now need reconsidering? Personally I recommend reviews of all Action Plans every quarter, together with reviews of the overall strategy every year.

Notes on Wisdom – 1

The Wisdom in the OT

Interest in wisdom hokmah was widespread in the ancient world. In the Gentile world wisdom was primarily associated with the ability to be successful. It was not a speculative discipline but intensely practical. It pertained to all walks of life: priests (re proper practice in ritual), magicians (re skill in the practice of their arts), craftsmen of all sorts (re skillful workmanship), and administrators (re good management) etc.

In the OT hokmah is frequently used in the broad sense of skill in craftsmanship or administration, etc. Hiram (1 Kng.7:13-14 [NIV "Huram"]; so also in 2 Chronicles 2:13, 4:11) was an outstanding master craftsman skilled in bronze work brought in from Tyre. 2 Chronicles 2:14 adds that he was likewise skilled in working with gold, silver, iron, stone, wood, and various dyes and fine linen. Hiram was “highly skilled and experienced.” More literally “he was filled with wisdom [hokmah] and understanding [tebunah] and knowledge [daat] in doing every kind of bronze work.” This illustrates the broad semantic range of the words “wisdom” and “understanding.” Hiram’s wisdom consisted in his practical skills. (Notice that Solomon not only utilized the finest materials, but he also spared no expense in hiring the finest workmen.) Another outstanding example is Exodus 31:3, in which the two craftsmen appointed to make the tabernacle were given wisdom (NIV “skill”) in carrying out their work.

Wise men were those who had unusual insight into human nature and in the problems of life in general. Thus they were sought as advisers to kings and rulers. This was the case for Daniel and his three friends. Dan.1:20 states that they attained hokmat binah (lit., “the wisdom of understanding”; NIV, “wisdom and understanding”). This implies that in the attainment of results, the securing of a knowledge of the future or of what would be the best decision to make on the part of the government in view of unknown future contingencies, or the like, Daniel and his three colleagues far excelled the professional heathen diviners and conjurers.

The Hebrew hokmah was primarily concerned with living responsibly before God and coping successfully with every problem or task confronting him as a servant of God. Especially in the matter of prudence in business and in the area of human relations (the aspect most frequent in Proverbs), the hokmah that proceeded from the fear of the Lord played a decisive role. In the management of armies in time of war or the administration of government in time of peace–i.e., the knowledge of the right thing to do under the circumstances–or for wise policies to follow in dealing with men, hokmah was essential.

This kind of practical wisdom is applied to life as a whole. It combines the idea of knowledge arrived at through accurate discernment and the ability or skill to apply that knowledge effectively to the task to be done or the decision to be made. It certainly involves an understanding of the world and of life in general, but is always viewed with relation to God himself, the Creator, Designer, and Governor, who imparts meaning and value to all he has fashioned and to all the laws that govern the physical universe and the moral one as well. This finds typical expression in the statement “The fear of the Lord–that is wisdom” (Job 28:28). He who fears the Lord receives wisdom from him, the ability to see things from God’s perspective. Thus true wisdom gives discernment in spiritual and moral matters. It also enables man to discriminate between that which is helpful and that which is harmful. Every aspect of human endeavor is included: the spiritual, intellectual, secular, and practical.

Human “wisdom” (hokmah), “insight” (tebunah), and “counsel” (`esah; NIV, “plan”) must be in conformity to the will of God to be successful. Prov.21:30 uses a single sentence to declare that if these qualities are in defiance of God, they cannot succeed; for human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the wisdom of God (see Job 5:12-13; see also Isa 40:13-14).

Issachar Annointing in google

Please try dialling “Issachar annointing” into your google doover.

You may want to re-consider using this as a title for your work.

Blessings, Roger.

Response from Roger

Email from Roger – posted with permission

G’day Gordon,

I have read all your material and I offer the following comments. I must admit I was a bit tired and grumpy when I was pencilling in comments all over the Issachar Thinking (IT) page 3 (IT3) overview last night.  No different now, actually. Mebbe one day I wll hand it to you, but what really grabbed my attention is that bit about the tribe who sent the blokes to fight with the soldiers:

Part 1 Who Knew Israel

Part 2 Who Knew The times

Part 3 Knew What to do.

Wise councel consists, I would suggest, of people who have this special insight and who can articulate it.  Wise enough to know all these things and knowing how to get results from the application of the wisdom.

I think you would do very well to take a slightly different tack. Your work, in my opinion, especially in the IT3 section appears to be far too achademic. Instead of speaking of ideas and insight and hairy goats, I think it would be better to frame the whole part of Perpective Three(P3) along the lines of an exigesis of the three main headings above.   You are far more cleverer than to needing to lean on so many other peoples work (books) for credibility for what you are trying to do. Please do not try and change others words with regard to hairy things to try and introduce a new thing. Mention them in passing, maybe, perhaps when you need to tip a little scorn.

Its not the idea thats all hairy, or the notion that it is an almost uncontrollable thing with big horns on that could get out of control, so dangerous is the idea, but it’s the wise application of the three factors of wisdom.

1. They knew Isreal = they knew the mission (organisation) and its faults. They were a part of the family who, by implication also knew how to manipulate it, galvanise it, organise it? because the kind of word used in the “knowing” bit, means you will know what the result of new ideas will be and how best to present them to get movement or change the way god wants it. They know the internal hierachy, the pack leaders and the culture changers and really good thinkers who are Gods’ people but who are (most often) not listened to. They had a relationship with God.

2. They knew the times = Aware of what was going on around them and the trends! They knew the history when facing the future.  Situational awareness. Reality brokers. Aware of the foibles and capabilities of Isreal, its’ stories of failure and success. Much much more could be done here. They knew how the times were changing. Not they knew the time when…..They were today men who could look at tomorrow. Fighting Men.  thier wisom had to stand along side the blokes who were going to loose their lives.  Perhaps their plans and policies may result in paying the ultimate price.  The rest of the army of Isreal knew who they were.

3. They knew what to do.

May I suggest that you don’t (IMHO ) suddenly invent a challenge as a result of praying a lot and filling out forms, but that the big old hairy challenge suddenly emerges from the shadows when you least expect it…..but wait, if we are 1, 2 people (above) then we will know what to do and the big old hary challenge will not be unexpected but expected.  Problem is many orgs are laying flat on their faced\s being dragged along by circumstances out of their control and then they try to “plan”.  Don’t give me that. They don’t know Isreal, they dont know the times and they don’t know what to do. Can’t get much worse. What led WBT into anti-terrorist training so many years ago? If we have the spritual discernment gained by the balance application and indulgence in the three main subheadings under P3 then I agree that we will approach IT.  Also I do not think that the HS needs to be coddled in order to gain His co-operation or guidance. Nudges and whispers indeed!!!!! I’ll have you know that the HS put this dimension and all the working bits together and upholds it constantly very nicely thank you and did not do it or maintain it with a wink and anudge and a whisper.  As with the birth of the church with tongues and all that stuff. The power of the HS is such that we should be responding to the really big kicks up the you know what.  All this talk of sensitivity drives me nuts.  I think we will find He is virtually yelling in our ears. If we are dealing with big hairy notions, they are probably the result of a dirty great big POW in the lug hole from the HS and you will need a dirty great big um…. HS… to do what He is suggesting.

All this brings me to my big YUK word, goals. I agree with you . Chuck all and any refernce to goals out. Someone keeps moving mine.  I have no control over where the goal posts are gonna be planted next. “Perspective four – Define” makes me really mad. “Purpose statement” absolute Yuk!!!Foundational tenants?  Gasp! what ever next??? Corporation yuk speak. Too close to Tennant, tendancies, tenner, tin ants. etc. Characer of the organisation is OK , but better is the word Culture of the Org. (Isreal).  If we speak of knowing, then why not speak of the heart of the group. What love action between God and Man made it embroyonic? Who gave it birth, when did it grow up? (did it?) Does everyone know the story? Does every one repeat the stories? What is the Entity doing now?

Parts 1 and 2 are the basis for part the third, and part three is the real kicker. What to do? Strategic Planning. I like your ideas here, but would like you to go off and find examples of the results of these blokes who were the “wisdom” of Isreal.  Put all the scolastic books in the roof with all the others, and get a new idea, of your very own. Where is their work evident in the Bible? Where is the proof that this all works in Scripture, Huh? Yeah, just where is it, mate?  Stuff your forms and statements – light fires! Were these wise men of Israel doomed to be as Cassandra, knowing the times and knowing what was going to happen, knowing what to do to avoid disaster, yelling instructions into the ears of those who really needed to know, but doomed by the curse of Cassandra to never be heard by those who needed to hear. Did they do any good? Where is the evidence?

Phew.

Gruen Transfer coming on the telly very soon.  Gotta go now. Hope I didn’t upset you too much.

Blessings,

Roger.

Welcome

Welcome to this blog. I intend to use this site to comment on matters both integral and peripheral to biblical strategic thinking. Hope this makes sense.

Shalom