Developing a good game plan for your team or organization is more important than ever in a volatile business environment. The question is if our traditional approaches to strategic planning are still valid or worthwhile in a less predictable world. The starting point of traditional approaches has always been the current reality and based on this the desired future position was defined. Based on strong analysis, companies made small changes to their strategy, improving the status quo. If subsequently the strategy was deployed in an excellent way, the companies were able to reach a sustainable competitive advantage and reap the benefits of good strategic planning. It worked fine in a stable business environment.

So what strategic approach helps us deal with this changed predictability? Do we need to completely shift our way of thinking and planning? Do we need to replace planning by design? Or is combining approaches the sweet spot of strategy development, in a form of integrative thinking?

To innovate and win, companies need design thinking. Roger Martin (Dean Rotman School of Management)

To support this ongoing debate, listing the differences between traditional strategic planning and a new approach of strategy design based on Design Thinking, might help. Both approaches are presented in their extreme form.

So what do you think? Which shifts in strategy are needed? What are your experiences in the field? Please, feel free to share to generate more feedback.

Ready to start a Design Thinking development program in your organization? Contact me for a consultation.