10 things I learned from Good Strategy Bad Strategy

1. Strategies are not visions, goals or performance metrics

2. A good strategy has a kernel

A description of the challenge to be overcome, guiding policies, and then a coherent set of actions

3. Strategies don't try to cover or accomplish everything

Recognizing that organisations have limited resources, it makes sense to focus on a few objectives as opposed to many objectives

4. There are bad strategies because people don't want to do the work of developing a good strategy

5. Good strategies have a source of power

Whether it's leverage, chain-link systems or proximate objectives

6. You've probably seen a bad strategy somewhere in your life

7. Good strategies anticipate what competitors might do and market trends and are still effective even through those changes

8. If a strategy is too abstract, you can create a proximate objective (something achievable) that will get you close instead.

9. If you've paid a consultant for a strategy, you likely got a bad strategy from them

10. Good strategies give organisations and teams a direction to move towards even if it's not perfect