A litte less strategy, and a little more tactics.
A rant on why we need to reduce the why and emphasize the what and the how
«People dont buy what you do, they buy why you do it» Simon Sinek stated over and over again in this famous youtube-video posted a few years back.
The quote above, and many like them, are highly recognized, making grown men act like small boys with stars in their eyes, eager to get into the world, reshaping it through innovation and whys.
The idea behind the quote is just fine. I do not have any problem with it. Heck, i don’t have problem believing in it either. The issue manifests itself once everyone is working on the why — and only does the why.
For the last 5–8 years people have been strategic this and strategic that. You can no longer be a developer – no, you need to be strategic platform architect. And a designer does not exist anymore – no, you are a visual strategic storyteller and business developer.
All this adds up to the fact that there is a lot of planning — and very little doing.
When ever I see someone introducing themselves as strategic-somehing, my immediate thought is «oh, so you like to talk.»
When everyone is focused on the why (because it is only place you can be “strategic” I guess?), then the what and the how is left alone. And where does that leave us? With tons of plans and strategies, and with a bunch of people who have no idea on how to act them out. I cannot count have many times I’ve witnessed the why-people come running with desperation in their eyes “So we have this strategy — now what?!”. Or even worse; “Could you help us make it happen?!”. Once we get to this point one of two things tend to happen. The hows- and whats come to the rescue and makes the strategy happen. Not over night of course, but step by step they work towards realizing the strategy. How ever, if they are not involved, feel an ownership or feels recognized in the strategy — you might not have those people in your company for very long. The other thing that could happen is that the whys starts a new strategy work.
Strategies are fine. I do not mind a good strategy. But making a strategy might be the most boring and tedeaus job I can think of. Setting the direction for the company sounds great — but understanding how to do it is what really creates the value. I do not disagree with Sinek, but the issue is the balance. And on that note; it is a lot easier to get the hows-and-whats to figure out the why, rather than getting the whys to actually do stuff.
That’s why I say: less strategy, more tactics.
