
11T
ALENT
S
TRATEGY
and energy to achieve cer tain overriding, lo ng-te rm goa ls. A c om-
pany’s strategic plan serv es as i ts playbook for coordinating activ-
ity, focusing e ffort, and d evelo ping c apabi litie s.
A word of cautio n is in order here. Keep in mind that the wor d
‘‘formal’’ doe sn’t h ave to trans late i nto ‘‘rigid’’ or ‘‘lock-step.’’ Oc -
casionally I he ar business strategy de scrib ed as if it were some
type of seamles s plan that, once e nacte d, unfolds i n a predicta ble,
clockwork fashion. So unds good, but life seldom works th at way.
It’s more accur ate to think of a bu sines s stra tegy a s bein g a fluid
design that can