Problem definition can prevent strategic misadventure.
Strategic misadventure is something that doesn’t need to happen.
It’s effort, time and treasure expended doing something that’s not just peripheral, but a distraction. And distractions can have huge opportunity cost.
Problem definition is a human process. This is why we often get it wrong and strategic misadventures result.
Success in problem definition requires tacit knowledge in two areas:
- The nature of the problem
- The process to define a problem
If these aren’t addressed then you risk blindspots and wrong strategy.
You need to do three things:
- Get the right people in the room with the right experience and diverse perspectives
- Get the right people running the right process, focused on outcomes
- Leave room to be wrong and continually evaluate and calibrate your view
That’s how you get to what really matters and find paths to progress.
Check out the Strategy Canvas.