“What I really want is to work on…is strategy,” I’ve heard from colleagues on every team I’ve been on. And it’s no surprise — big strategy projects can sometimes seem like the most exciting and high-profile projects in a tech company. They call to mind visionaries who change the world by thinking about big-picture problems
The 5 points above resonates with me. One of the things that I have picked up and found helpful for a strategy doc is to have an Intent summary at the top - from friends in the military, I have heard it called the commander's intent. The idea is that when on a mission, even if the best-laid plans go up in smoke, this understanding of the intent helps the team make the right tactical choices given the reality of the situation. Only if everyone truly understands the commander's intent are they able to make the right decisions in crunch situations. Similarly, if you can't honestly explain the intent of the new strategy to your team, your customers might not experience the new strategy as intended across all touch points.
The 5 points above resonates with me. One of the things that I have picked up and found helpful for a strategy doc is to have an Intent summary at the top - from friends in the military, I have heard it called the commander's intent. The idea is that when on a mission, even if the best-laid plans go up in smoke, this understanding of the intent helps the team make the right tactical choices given the reality of the situation. Only if everyone truly understands the commander's intent are they able to make the right decisions in crunch situations. Similarly, if you can't honestly explain the intent of the new strategy to your team, your customers might not experience the new strategy as intended across all touch points.
So well timed for me working on my own company's strategy! Thank you for your pragmatic wisdom and structure, Ami.