What separates a strategist from a master strategist? A strategist’s plan can succeed or fail; A master strategist’s plan takes into account as many variables as possible, increasing the likelihood of success. A teacher recognizes that opportunity exists in the unknown. Once a strategy has been established, how well those plans can incorporate the inevitable unknowns that arise determines the odds of success. Strategies must operate in a dynamic environment where people, processes and events can come into play in unpredictable ways. Adaptability is a powerful tool for dealing with uncertainty. Inflexible assumptions can be the death of a strategy.
An easy way to think about it is for every assumption you make, ask yourself, “What if I’m wrong?” If you were planning a presentation at a hotel, your assumption would be: OK, I’ll have to bring my presentation equipment, use the hotel’s sound system, and have the room set up for my attendees. Now try to think of everything that could go wrong. The sound system does not work with your equipment. More people show up to your event than expected. Your computer with your PowerPoint presentation decides to be difficult just before the presentation begins.
The more crucial the assumption is to your plan, the more critical it is to ask the “what if” question and plan accordingly. In a way, the strategy resembles a decision tree: if x happens, do this, if x doesn’t happen, do something else. For the master strategist, doing the “other thing” will also involve looking at what caused the deviation from the original assumption and finding opportunities in the deviation.
A skilled strategist recognizes that people, processes, and events have both positive and negative aspects, and is able to look at something that is negative on your face and find a positive aspect that will help your plan. In executing a plan, a master strategist will set aside a personal opinion of ineffectiveness. It may have worked hundreds of times before, but if it doesn’t work now, they’re willing to try something different. An expert strategist never stops learning and trying new things.
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