So what is Strategy ?
“ Begin at the beginning ” the King said gravely,
go on till you come to the end and then stop.
LEWIS CAROLL - ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Uncovering the essence of strategy far exceeds the purpose of this course and a mere attempt to do so could rightly be considered pretentious and futile. Yet, one can hardly consider strategy as a practice, without questioning its foundations: What do we mean by strategy? Why is strategy needed at all?
The word strategy has been around for a long time and is being used frequently but what does it mean, really?
Although these questions may sound trivial, the lack of unanimously accepted answers has genuine consequences for practitioners. This section briefly explores why defining the word “strategy” in a way that is unambiguous and accepted by everybody, is so difficult. It also suggests how practitioners can overcome the hurdle.
The practice of strategy requires both rigorous analysis methods and efficient means of leadership, communication, and management. Academic models often focus on the former while not addressing the later. This is one of the main gaps that practical models are seeking to fill. Besides, elaborating and implementing a new strategy is as much (if not more) a social process than an intellectual effort. Little can be achieved without the involvement and commitment of many stakeholders.
