In Part 1 "How to Accelerate Performance with Strategic Alignment - Understand the Logic of the Market" we outlined different market conditions and defined them in terms of two overarching logics — Exploring and Exploiting.
To briefly recap, an Exploring logic is one where customers are seeking new solutions for emerging needs. It’s all about change and action.
An Exploiting logic occurs in a more stable market in which the issues are about lowering costs and working collaboratively with customers.
It’s a market that focuses on stability and cohesion.
Clearly, it is one of these two logics — or a combination of both — that will shape your strategy as you operate in these markets.
See figure 1 below that describes how these logics will form your business strategy:
The diagram outlines 4 distinct strategy types that regularly appear in competitive markets[1]. In each case, the strategy type is formed by a combination of the two logics described above.
Each of these types are described in further detail in table 2 below:
The table above shows that two of the strategies (Prospector) and (Defender) have highly focused logics, while the Analyser is a combination of logics achieved via a different organisation design. The Reactor is shown to be least viable form because it has little clear logic:
Strategic success is achieved through focus — and focus is imbalance. A deliberate imbalance in resources and effort. The 3 successful types display this focus:
Prospector (high explore; Defender (high exploit); and Analyser (portfolio approach) all make deliberate tradeoffs to achieve this focus.
We will see how this is supported in Part 3, that focuses on culture and its alignment with strategy.
Dr Norman Chorn is a highly experienced business strategist helping leaders build highly successful and resilient organisations. Well known to many as the ‘business doctor’!
By integrating the principles of neuroscience with strategy and economics Norman achieves innovative approaches to achieve peak performance within organisations.
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