Strategy Builder: How to create and communicate more effective strategies

259 Pages·2015·10.27 MB·English

by  Stephen Cummings

‘This wonderful book is the first to solve a near-universal problem: communicating strategic ideas is just as hard and just as
important as coming up with them in the first place, and both are visual activities. The question is not “Do you understand?”
but “Do you see?”’
William Duggan, Professor at Columbia University and author of Strategic Intuition and The Seventh Sense
‘This book shows how to draw an organization’s strategy so you see what’s been considered, what’s not been considered, and
how things are related. Strategy building is presented as a fun and involving learning process. The approach is revolutionary
in that it enables not only the development but also the easy sharing of strategic understanding.’
Roger L.M. Dunbar, Emeritus Professor, Stern School of Business, New York University
‘I am delighted that at last someone has grasped this idea and come up with a way to help us demonstrate strategic plans
and ambitions in a creative new way. A drawing can encapsulate what 10,000 words can’t do. By harnessing our innate
creativity we can improve strategic communication, comprehension and implementation. This book could provide a vital
new tool to help hard-pressed leaders to demonstrate strategic vision and deliver real strategic impact.’
Vikki Heywood CBE, Chair of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts,
Manufactures and Commerce and former Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company
‘As a time-pressed executive it was a delight to find a book that I can dip into to find the best strategic frameworks – those
that have proved the test of time and academic scrutiny as being truly useful in the workplace. Even better for an inveterate
scribbler: endorsement that a picture and “permission to play” with ideas visually really does say a thousand words and more!’
Sarah Mitson, Global Business Director, TNSGlobal
‘This is an invaluable resource for any executive wanting to improve engagement in strategy development and communication.
The accessible layout means that the book itself can play an active and inspiring role in strategy discussions.’
Matt Thomas, Director, Braxton Associates,
Strategy Consultants and Divisional Chief Executive, Meyer International Plc
‘At last a book that grasps the implications of recent psychology: people think visually as well as verbally. The authors provide
powerful visual devices that will both help managers conceive better strategies and enable their people to execute them
more effectively.’
Richard Whittington, Professor of Strategic Management at
Saïd Business School, Oxford University and author of Exploring Strategy
'A powerful approach to make strategy more engaging again! Strategy Builder is a landmark book and is destined to make an
important impact to the field of strategy, strategizing and strategic management. Executives across the board (and students
of strategy) will find the core message of this book counterintuitive and compelling. The idea of “drawing” strategy may
seem like child's play, yet all great strategists and philosophers know that it is through such “serious play” that we’re allowed
to see things differently so that we can see different things.’
Robert Wright, Professor of Strategy at Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Thanks to Mairead, and to Kay
Strategy Builder
How to create and communicate more effective strategies
St eP HeN c u m m iNgS & d uNc aN aNgWiN
illustrations conceived by Stephen cummings & duncan angwin, drawn by rebecca Walthall
This edition first published 2015
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-118-70723-4 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-118-70718-0 (ebk)
ISBN 978-1-118-70716-6 (ebk)
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © PGMart/Shutterstock.com
Illustrations conceived by Stephen Cummings and Duncan Angwin, drawn by Rebecca Walthall
Set in 10/12pt Rockwell Std Light by Aptara, New Delhi, India
Printed in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall, UK
coNteNtS
Strategy Builder Team vi
PART One: The COnCePT 01
Opportunities for a New Way of Developing Strategy 05
Seven Strengths of Drawing Strategy 12
What Strategy Builder Does 22
PART TWO: Design 25
User’s Guide to the Strategy Builder’s Framework Profiles 28
Environmental Ecology 37
Competitive Positioning 71
Resources and Capabilities 105
Strategic Growth Options 139
Managing Performance Strategically 173
PART ThRee: ReAlizATiOn 207
Well-built Strategies, Simply Conveyed 209
Six Stratographic Principles 212
Get Building 233
Endnotes 239
Image Credits 242
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Strategy Builder team
Authors
Stephen Cummings
Professor of Strategy at Victoria and ICMCI Academic Fellow
Other books I’ve been involved with include Recreating Strategy, Images
of Strategy, Creative Strategy, Handbook of Creativity and Management and
Strategy Pathfinder with Duncan, but Duncan and I have been discussing
how to build Strategy Builder since we worked together at Warwick Business
School. The following team of people enabled us to do the original idea for a
book about drawing strategy justice.
Duncan Angwin
Professor of Strategy at Oxford Brookes University
My other books include Mergers and Acquisitions, Implementing Successful
Post-Acquisition Management, Practicing Strategy, Exploring Strategy and
Strategy Pathfinder with Steve. Whilst at the University of Warwick we began
thinking about how managers actually ‘do’ strategy effectively. We hope this
book will help people in the practice of creating and communicating strategy.
For more information please visit www.duncanangwin.com.
illustrators
Rebecca Walthall
Information design, Visory
Rebecca is a graphic designer and illustrator from New Zealand. She
specialises in projects that require her to distill complex information and
concepts into easily digestible visual material. She believes that there is no
such thing as being ‘unable to draw’ – like anything it just takes a little bit of
practice.
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Simon Collins, Hadley Smith
Principals, Visory
We were both previously students of Stephen’s but have
(hopefully) pulled ourselves up by the bootlaces to
become something approximating colleagues. A few
years ago we saw the opportunity to help organizations
‘do strategy better’ by making it visual, accessible, even
beautiful. We started Visory to do just that.
App Development
Craig Catley
CEO, StrategyBlocks
I’ve been involved in the enterprise software market for 20 years, specifically in
sales and marketing management and I am Founder & Director of StrategyBlocks,
driving international market growth and product development strategy. My key
technology interests focus on business analytics and performance improvement
solutions.
Chiwai Chan
Developer, StrategyBlocks
A Software Developer with StrategyBlocks for over 5 years, my primary area of
responsibility is the development of the engines, servers and databases of our
products. In this role I’m directly involved in the development of key product
functionality.
Glenn Murphy
Developer, StrategyBlocks
I was born in Canada and worked as a software developer for Cognos Inc.
in Ottawa for 7 years, before they were acquired by IBM. In 2007, I dropped
everything and moved to New Zealand for a change of lifestyle and became the
lead front-end developer for a new startup company called StrategyBlocks.
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Production
Holly Bennion
Executive Commissioning Editor, Wiley
Holly commissions new projects for Wiley Business books and Capstone
Publishing, a Wiley brand, publishing high-profile books to inspire people in
business, including innovative new titles in personal development and career
success.
Jenny Ng
Development Editor, Wiley
Jenny is responsible for developing content at Wiley on the Capstone and
business lists, helping authors to turn their material into the best products they
can be!
Tessa Allen
Senior Production Editor, Wiley
I work on Wiley’s Business, Finance, Accounting, and Capstone titles. I’m
proud to be working with such talented authors and colleagues – and being
surrounded by gorgeous books isn’t too bad either. With all of its visual and
graphical elements Strategy Builder has been both interesting to work on and a
real challenge.
And special thanks to: Rosemary Nixon, David Wilson, Robin Wensley, John McGee, Peter Doyle, Haridimos Tsoukas,
Rob Grant, Eric Cassells, Matt Thomas, Gibson Burrell, Harminder Singh, Peter McKiernan, Roger Dunbar, Richard
Dunford, Chris Smith, Chris Bilton, Urs Daellenbach, Sally Davenport, Sally Riad, Adam Martin, Sophia Lum, Luisa
Acheson, Megan Key, Noelle Donnelly, Bob Galliers, Jane Parker, Colin Campbell-Hunt and Sebastian Green.
And our many inspirational students at Victoria University, Oxford Brookes University, Saïd Business School, Oxford
University, Georgetown University, Chinese University Hong Kong, Tongji University Shanghai, Melbourne Business
School, University of Warwick, ENPC Paris, EHTP Casablanca, Mediterranean School of Business, Tunisia and Vlerick
Business School, Belgium.
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