We don't need strategy most of the time
But when we do, we do
The term “strategy” is overused.
It can be everywhere, it seems, right up to and including the garbage truck that passed me on the road the other day (boldly proclaiming itself a part of “Strategic Waste Management”). Some will draw the conclusion that it is always necessary. That it “never sleeps” (which was the unfortunate tagline for a now-defunct military strategy publication). That strategy is always a factor and so must always dominate our thoughts.
But it’s just not so. If you’re the New York Yankees and you play a pre-season game against a college team, you don’t need strategy so much because the raw materials you’re gifted with are likely more than sufficient for the task at hand. The overmatch is enough.
If you’re an extra-experienced businessperson and investor and you’ve got a group of entrepreneurs coming in to be evaluated on a business proposal, you don’t need all that much deep thought. The natural repetitions you’ve had have given you most, if not all, that you need to pick winners.
Or the stakes may not matter to you, as when you go gambling with friends on a social engagement. Or you simply don’t care.
Elsewhere I’ve written that strategy is the “purposeful orientation toward success in a complex, competitive challenge.”
There’s a sweet spot for strategy there. The endeavor must be complex and/or competitive - a real hostile environment, most often against some adversary. The endeavor must also be a true challenge or conflict - something with real stakes. Something that matters to you.
If the environment isn’t hostile or competitive - no need for strategy.
If the stakes aren’t high enough - no need for strategy.
Think about how few moments in our lives actually fall into the intersection of those two categories. For me the list is very, very small - a handful, really, over the course of my entire lifetime.
It includes athletics, finance, and professional obligations (both personal and for the organizations that I’ve served). That’s about it. You can count those on one hand. Everything else is a little “blah,” as in, I don’t need strategy so much as common sense applied with a side of discipline.
So remember - strategy isn’t always necessary.
But when it is, it really really is.