Strategy and Operational integration
Our view of strategy is it to be based upon real-life dynamical systems, like ecosystems, corporations, governments and societies, which are systems in constant flux or change. Since change is constant (1st law of thermodynamics), it suggests that all forms of planning must be infused with systemic characteristics so as to keep plans & strategies relevant in a constantly evolving business landscape. This is unique and well removed from traditional strategic planning, still steeped in mechanistic modelsthat assume a neat, ordered world, usually called the “clock-work” universe. This view holds that future events and things are predictable, ordered, stable and functioning without surprises, much like a mechanical watch, hence the term mechanistic predictability. A theoretical world where Newtonian physics ruled for thousands of years, based upon the premise that if we know the momentum and location of an atom, it allows us near-perfect predictability, meaning the future behavior of the system. Such deterministic versions of universal behavior have been proven wrong, especially relating to complex adaptive systems, which are systems having high degrees of complexity, randomness and chaos inherently making control and predictability impossible (Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and duality of the wave-particle from Quantum mechanics). The study of such dynamic systems falls under the broad category of complexity science, which accepts unpredictability, chaos, random behavior and entanglement as core systemic aspects. Practically, this confirms that traditional strategic models need to be upgraded to ensure it contains robustness and flexibility as the model thinking is embedded in a Cartesian paradigm. Knowing this to be fact, and having experienced the liberation from Mechanistic notions of command and control, have resulted in our firm and our clients, making great strides, intellectually and financially.