Strategy Schools of Thought

What Strategy is:

Three Schools of Thought

 Strategy is Deliberate
– “Planning for the Future”

 Strategy is Emergent
– “Doing What You’re Good At”

 Strategy is Adaptive
– “Responding to an Unpredictable Environment”
What Strategy is:
Three Schools of Thought

 Deliberate School:
– Plan and Analyze

 Emergent School:
– Craft the strategy

 Adaptive School:
– It’s a jungle out there
Deliberate School of Thought

 Strategy is a thoughtful, careful plan that

anticipates future markets and creates a
uniquely advantageous position

 Careful planning is needed to create an

advantageous position in the marketplace.
Emergent School of Thought

 Strategy is how we have done things—the

pattern of our activities, and how we will build
on it for the future.

 Strategy usually emerges from practice,

rather than formulated from planning.
Adaptive School of Thought

 Strategy is a readiness to respond to new

opportunities that present themselves.

 The future is too uncertain and the market is

too volatile. Deliberate planning becomes
irrelevant almost immediately.
Strengths of Each School

 Deliberate:
– Planning and analysis are critical

 Emergent:
– Good strategy is rarely planned new; it is almost always
based on past accomplishments

 Adaptive:
– The environment is unpredictable, so there must be a
willingness to respond quickly
Danger of Each School

 Deliberate:
– Having an obsolete strategy

 Emergent:
– Strategic schizophrenia

 Adaptive:
– No stability