Strategy Reinvented Conference Reflection

When I took the Gallup StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment 15 years ago, three of my top five strengths fell within the Strategic Thinking category. That enlightened me as to why I could connect the dots and come up with ideas quickly. That’s also the reason I was drawn to attend the Strategy Reinvented Conference in Amsterdam last week.

I am energized by the insights and visions I have learned. A couple of examples are as follows:

• What if strategy is everyone’s job instead of belonging to executives?

Jeroen Kraaijenbrink suggested that executives spend one hour per day, managers spend one hour per week, and employees spend one hour per month on strategy to enhance their strategy competencies, so the whole organization moves towards shaping the future.

His question to the top leaders: Does your strategy inspire, touch, and move your people?

• What are the power skills for the future?

Timothy Tiryaki suggested that strategic thinking, execution, and adaptability can support an organization’s transition from VUCA to FLUX (Fast + Liquid + Uncharted + Experimental). He asserted that strategy is not a directive; it’s a dialogue, and we should humanize, localize, decentralize, and experiment with it. There is no AI strategy; instead, AI should be part of the organizational strategy.

All speakers are alumni of CSIC programs (Certified Strategy & Implementation Consultant). They provided insights and experiences on designing and implementing strategy as consultants. It’s interesting to see how a human-centered approach has been in action in the business world.

An in-person conference provides a human touch that was much richer than online conference calls. The small group’s brainstorming with the people running similar strategic thinking frequencies was quite enjoyable. If you are interested in strategy beyond SWOT type of traditional approach, check out strategy.inc!