ARTICLE SUMMARY: What happens when “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”? You end up with uncertainty, and if not dealt with you could find yourself wondering aimlessly, not good look for designers who are supposed to be problem solvers.
Strategic decisions under uncertainty are tough, not just because the world is unpredictable, but because our natural responses to that unpredictability often make things harder.
Whitney Zimmerman’s “Strategy in the Face of Uncertainty” isn’t just theory, it’s a practical guide to understanding strategy and building resilient plans when the future is unclear. He dives into:
- The science of strategy
- The strategy leader’s uncertainty toolkit
- Strategy leadership
One of the things Zimmerman highlights is a common pitfall, the rush to act, which often leads us to skip documenting our strategic assumptions. Later, when things don’t go as planned, we tend to either erase those assumptions from memory or distort them. This bias blocks the systematic learning that organizations need to thrive amid uncertainty.
Whitney concludes his article by telling us “What differentiates organizations that flounder in uncertainty from those that thrive? It’s not luck or just having the right tools. It’s the leadership of strategy that brings it all together.”
Uncertainty is the very reason strategy exists. Without uncertainty, we would only need plans, not strategy. If you’re looking to grow as a strategy leader, this piece is a great place to start. Let us know what you think in the comments
