The Big Shift in Strategy - Part 2

http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2015/01/the-big-shift-in-strategy-part-2.html

In the last posting, the author suggested that we’re going through a big shift in strategy from strategies of terrain to strategies of trajectory. This positing summarizes what the author thinks strategies of trajectory might look like. Again, I urge you go to the original source

Most strategies (strategies of terrain) tend to look from the present out to the future. Strategies of trajectory start with a view of the future and work back to the implications for action in the present. 

Here’s the paradox: strategies of trajectory become more and more essential in times of rapid change and uncertainty, while at the same time becoming more and more difficult.  But that’s exactly what makes strategies of trajectory so valuable… 

…So, what’s required to craft these strategies of trajectory? Five elements can help to make these strategies successful:
• Challenging
• Shaping
• Motivating
• Measuring
• Learning 

Challenging
In a world of accelerating change, one of our greatest imperatives is to "unlearn" - to challenge and ultimately abandon some of our most basic beliefs about how the world works and what is required for success 

Shaping
What about the opportunity to materially alter the probabilities regarding potential future outcomes?...In times of rapid change and growing uncertainty, we actually have far more degrees of freedom to restructure entire markets and industries than in more stable time…haping strategies are classic strategies of trajectory – they begin by defining a desired market or industry structure and then focus on mobilizing third parties to invest to support the shaping strategy 

Motivating
 Successful strategies of trajectory need to find ways to motivate people to overcome risk adverseness and to take bolder action 

Measuring
As the name suggests, strategies of trajectory are ultimately about measuring movement in a particular direction.  Any strategy of trajectory must therefore be explicit about the metrics that will indicate whether we’re on track to establishing the desired position in the future 

Learning
In a time of accelerating change, learning is essential to success=