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Strategy as an appreciation of serendipity

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Today is Columbus Day in the US (my 6-year-old son was singing to himself at breakfast, “In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”), and it’s a good time to think about strategies and objectives. Management consultants will tell you that developing a clear set of objectives and committing to a well-considered strategy to achieve them is essential to success in the business world.

Columbus had a clear objective – open a new trade route to India. At that objective he failed miserably, bumping into a land mass more than 10,000 miles short of his target. Yet, his mistake ended up being far more important in world history than reaching his initial goal would have been.

Like the earth in Columbus’ time, the future of any business is unknown and unpredictable. Therefore, while objectives and strategies are important, so is an appreciation for serendipity. Good things you didn’t anticipate emerge while you’re in execution mode. And being able to recognize these, and adjust your strategy (even possibly your objectives) as a result, is more valuable than being able to stick to a course of action.

Related posts:
Time for a new strategic-planning process
Describe your strategy in a simple picture


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