Strategy isn’t milk; it doesn’t have a set shelf life

The phrase ‘three-year strategy’ sounds like a pledge, and it’s impractical.

Strategy is a set of choices.

We choose:

  • Target markets and customer segments
  • Core products
  • Focus assets
  • Key processes

Every choice has a time span within which we believe we won’t touch it.

However, different choices can have different time frames.

As I wrote on Wednesday, the time frame of a strategic decision depends on how much influence we have over its outcomes.

So, a strategy is not a document with a set shelf life.

It’s a set of choices, and they can have different time frames.

Svyatoslav Biryulin

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