Today’s Harvard Business Review Tip of the Day:
Create Great Strategy with Stories, Not Plans
Give up being right and sensible. Instead, tell a story about the future. Make it aspirational and envision your organization in a happy and successful place. Then start the real work of strategy creation: ask yourselves, for these stories to come true, what would have to happen?
Here’s my story:
A rabbit is running along in the forest. The rabbit runs quickly, as rabbits are prone to do. This is very different from the pace of other animals that can be slower. For example, opossums are slower than rabbits.
You’re probably wondering why the rabbit is running so quickly. I will tell you: it’s because the rabbit is motivated. The rabbit runs with purpose and direction. What direction you ask? North. That’s right. Always upward and onward. Enough questions; back to the story.
The rabbit runs along, and sees a venture capitalist. The venture capitalist says, “Hello there rabbit, I can see you are motivated, have purpose and direction. Not like the opossum, a creature that I despise with a fiery passion. Do you see how slowly opossums move?” What disdain the venture capitalist has towards opossums! The rabbit shrugs; she has nothing against opossums.
Then the venture capitalist gives the rabbit a thoughtful sum so that the rabbit’s organization can afford marketing and equipment to assist the rabbit’s awesome product in catching stride. The rabbit responsibly uses this money to end up in a happy and successful place.
Hm.
Comments