I’ve spent much of my career working between product, sales and marketing teams. I’ve witnessed both good and bad practices. But my underlying reflections revolve around strategy. Sure, it is a massively overused word. But the most successful organizations I have worked with and for have been guided by a well thought through, dynamic strategy.
There is .much written about strategy, at Spatial Advisers we have long been fans of Roger Martin; the highly successful past dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto..
In this article I wanted to summarize Martin’s strategy cascade: a strategy framework I have successfully applied throughout my career.
Strategy Cascade
Roger Martin’s strategy cascade refers to a framework for developing and implementing strategy, particularly outlined in his book “Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works,” co-authored with A.G. Lafley.
The strategy cascade involves a series of interconnected steps to guide organizations in developing a clear and effective strategy. The key components of the strategy cascade are:
- Define Winning: This is about clearly understanding what it means to win in your particular industry or market. It involves defining the specific objectives and goals that will signify success for your organization.
- Choose Where to Play: Organizations need to make strategic choices about the markets, customer segments, and geographic areas in which they will compete. This involves understanding the competitive landscape and selecting the most advantageous areas for the business to operate.
- Decide How to Win: Once you’ve chosen where to play, you need to decide how you will differentiate yourself and achieve success in those chosen areas. This step involves making choices about how to position the organization relative to competitors and what capabilities will be critical for success.
- Capabilities and Systems: After deciding how to win, the organization must build the necessary capabilities and support systems to execute the strategy effectively. This involves aligning the organization’s structure, processes, and people with the strategic choices made.
- Management Systems: Implementing strategy requires effective management systems to monitor performance, adjust tactics, and ensure that the organization stays on track toward its strategic objectives.
At Spatial Advisers we have adapted the strategy cascade of Roger Martin, and combined that with the work of another business growth thought leader: Simon Sinek. A link to the free eBook we have written can be found below.
To close out this article. The strategy cascade is a dynamic process, and organizations may need to revisit and adjust their strategy in response to changes in the external environment or internal capabilities. The goal is to create a coherent and integrated strategy that aligns the organization’s activities with its overall objectives.
If you have questions feel free to contact me at matt@spatialadvisers.com