12
Viable Alternative Options

If our default is the option we choose automatically in the absence of viable alternatives — and if default thinking is what leads us closer to the path of decline and the Inevitable Kraken of Doom — then the fruits of our quest become the very antidote and salvation.

But before we hand our gathered intelligence over, we need to ensure it is packaged appropriately. Akin to not serving 30-year-old whisky in a polystyrene cup, we don't want to simply deliver a viable alternative strategic option as a PowerPoint presentation attached to an email.

PACKAGING INTELLIGENCE

This book is a form of packaged intelligence. I've taken great pains to convey the paradoxical complexity of leading a quest in a way that's practical and actionable. Some will say that I should ‘dumb it down' and provide more ‘top tips' and ‘practical, how-to steps' — but that's just the Curse of Efficiency speaking, looking for quick fixes.^[1] Now, I could have done this; in fact, I could have presented this intelligence as a simple, prescriptive list of what enterprise leaders must do if they want to secure enduring relevance. But, such an approach is both patronising and arrogant. It doesn't inspire thorough thinking and nor does it allow the reader to own the process. Instead, they are simply following instructions, like a robot.

When you're thinking about how you present viable alternative options to strategic decision-makers, you need to consider some vital points.

Firstly — is the timing right? Have your fellow enterprise leaders been kept abreast of developing insights, or will they be ambushed with this new insight? Have they been invited to participate in and contribute to pioneering thinking (exploring uncertain futures and identifying incoherencies)? Or is this stuff all new to them? Have their questions and concerns been addressed in the experimentation phase? Or are you encountering these for the first time only now?

As you can see, I'm hinting at something here. The more inclusive you can be in your quest, the more likely it is your leadership peers will be receptive and on-board. Where possible, provide updates on progress and learning frequently. Involve them, so that when viable alternative options are discussed in strategy meetings, they don't come as a surprise.

If you're the CEO or senior executive of a large enterprise, you may have a strategic innovation team reporting directly to you. Or this team may take the form of an embedded startup or intrapreneurial hub. If you're in such a hub — or are looking to start one — know that the most important value you can provide as a result of leading a quest is insight, in the form of viable alternative strategic options.

Which brings us back to packaging (and your second main consideration). At some point, you'll need to deliver this insight. It could take the form of a report, or a presentation. It could be that time is dedicated to exploring alternative options as part of an offsite strategy development retreat. In any event — you'll need to present this intelligence.

It would be nice to pretend that strategic decision-making is a rational process, but it is often just as flawed by cognitive bias as anything. As Scott Berkun explains in The Myths of Innovation, ‘Innovative ideas are rarely rejected on their merits; they're rejected because of how they make people feel.'

Gosh, feelings?! How do we factor this in?

COMMUNICATING IN FULL SPECTRUM

When transitioning from academic research to business consulting, I needed to learn how to ‘de-academify' the way I communicated ideas. Because I had spent ages going deep into the research, I had become too close to what I knew. This resulted in me rushing through fundamental concepts I (incorrectly) assumed everyone knew. The result was, I imagine, confusing and somewhat overwhelming (in a disempowering way) for folks who listened to me. It was only when I met Matt Church — a good friend and mentor — that things began to change.

Matt is the founder of Thought Leaders Global and the author of Amplifiers. He runs a business school for expert consultants along with another mate of mine, Peter Cook (author of Implement). Very early in my transition, Matt introduced me to one of the fundamental elements of thought leadership — the ability to capture, package and deliver world-class thinking in a way that has integrity. The result? People get it, and you become known for what you know.^[2]

Give the viable alternative option a name

We can't keep calling multiple viable alternative strategic options viable alternative strategic options! It's a mouthful. And it's a slippery slope if we start using acronyms.

Instead, you want to create a name to hang stuff onto. This could be a codename, like ‘Operation Lazydog' or ‘Operation Moonshine' — something unique and memorable. Or it could be ultra-relevant: ‘The Bitcoin Option' or ‘Emailbane'. Whatever it is, give it a catchy name. You'll have multiple viable alternative options within your quiver, and they each need to be discernible and memorable. If you lose people with an ultra-technical name early on in the piece, winning them back may be hard.^[3]

Start with (their) why

Even if we are doing strategy well — with thorough thinking and due consideration — time will always be of the essence. You may be tempted to jump to the cool bits but, just as I have done with this book, you need to establish the contextual relevance and need for this strategic option.

So, explain the incoherence. Unpack the mismatch between your current identity and business model, and that of an emerging set of future contexts.

^[4] Identify the specific problem inherent to the emerging context. Then bring it back to why. Not your why, but theirs — the strategic decision-makers'. Hopefully this is one and the same: the biggest why, in an enterprise context, is enduring relevance.

Frame the problem

Having established the why, you now want to dial up the imperative — contrasting the viable alternative option with the default ‘do nothing different' option. What are the implications of doing nothing? What's our window of opportunity? Where will it hurt us if we don't act?

If a photo is placed in a dark frame, the colours are perceived to be brighter. Likewise, if a viable alternative strategic option is framed in the context of an emerging incoherence, its validity will shine the brighter.

Our intention is not to manipulate but to influence. To convey the thinking that has occurred in a condensed, concise and compelling manner, so that decision-makers can grasp the bigger strategic opportunities and implications of this new alternative pathway.

Ultimately, we need to remain non-attached — strategy is complex, and we often cannot be across every facet. But if we are presenting a viable alternative option, we want to ensure that we frame it appropriately — so we have people's attention, and they are primed to listen.

Unpack the option

This is where full-spectrum thinking (and communication) comes to the fore. In fact, it should influence all facets of how we communicate important ideas and concepts. This type of thinking comes with the recognition that two important spectrums exist in how we think and communicate.

The vertical spectrum allows us to think and communicate in terms of big picture (contextual) through to detail (concrete). And the horizontal spectrum means we can think and communicate with an emphasis on logic, or an emphasis on emotion.^[5] See figure 12.1.

Any viable alternative strategic option will carry its own set of complexities. And so the best place to start when unpacking this option is with a big-picture, logical framework. This can take the form of a model, a grid, your business model, or some sort of diagrammatic representation of the option. At this stage, the point is not to get bogged down in detail, but to map the territory. By establishing this context, people will be able to associate any detail you share within the puzzle of the bigger picture.

After establishing a contextual framework, you'll then be able to drill down into detail. It's similar to what you're experiencing now^[6] — in chapter 5 we established the model for Quest-Augmented Strategy, which provides context for the sixteen chapters that follow it. If ever you are lost, you can return to the contextual framework to get a sense of where we are. Likewise, if you feel that people are getting lost in the details of your option, you'll be able to return to the overarching framework to decontextualise things.

The details you provide include the case studies from your experiments, and the intelligence you've gathered through the exploration and monitoring of diverse feeds. Throughout this, you'll want to humanise the data. Rather than simply parroting facts, you can bring insights to life through the power of story. As we've explored, narrative is a powerful way to convey compelling complexity in a short amount of time. You may wish to integrate the ‘newsreader' perspective into how you present this option.

Finally — after moving from a big-picture, logical framework, through to detailed studies and descriptive stories — you'll want to return to the big picture, and the emotion behind the decision-makers' big why.

This is what it's really all about. If you want to ensure this option remains memorable, link it to an analogy.^[7] Answering the question ‘what's it like?' for the viable alternative options you present will help ensure that everyone has a grasp on it.

Of course, all of the above is more like a dance than a set of sequential steps.

Provide a path

By now, you'll have presented a clear and compelling overview of a viable alternative option.^[8] Ideally, this all comes as no surprise because many key decision-makers have been involved and kept updated with the progress of your quest. It may have already been covered, but a key element of pioneering leadership is shining a light on the path — highlighting the way forward through what is otherwise relatively uncharted and unprecedented territory. Here, you deliver your scout's report — the things you've learned on the path so far.

Chances are, if you've been building a momentum of evidence through experimentation, the next steps will be relatively clear: continue scaling up the experiments. Bring more enterprise focus and support to the pursuit of this new alternative strategic option.

In fact, let's not call it the alternative anymore: let's integrate it into our enterprise strategy! New rainbows of growth and relevance, here we come!

Maybe … Just because it's a viable alternative option, however, it doesn't mean it will be progressed. Our role in Quest-Augmented Strategy is not to replace strategic decision-making, or to make all the decisions ourselves. Rather, our role is to augment, enhance and enrich this decision-making.

In part V we'll take a brief look at the domain of strategic thinking, and the tension of balancing pioneering growth with the demands of operational excellence and stewardship.