Distinguishing good strategy from bad strategy

This is a work-in-progress draft!

Discussion of distinguishing good versus bad strategy

This is an exploratory, draft chapter for a book on engineering strategy that I’m brainstorming in #eng-strategy-book. As such, some of the links go to other draft chapters, both published drafts and very early, unpublished drafts.

Quick tools

• Is it obvious how to get paid twice by both complying with strategy and doing product work?

Notes

• Quick refresher of Rumelt’s discussion on bad strategy

• Take the ideas of https://lethain.com/solving-the-engineering-strategy-crisis/ wrt bad strategy and how to evaluate/determine.

• Sounds bad:

  • What decisions have been made differently as a result?
  • Do people reference it, or even remember it?

• Much worse:

  • Makes hard for people to do work
  • Makes it harder to accomplish the same output

• Even if your strategy isn’t working well yet, just return to refinement phase. Many strategies don’t work initially or “go out of alignment” over time and need to be adjusted