Strategic

CHAPTER 13Strategy Conversations

“Conversations are the way workers discover what they know, share it with their colleagues, and in the process, create new knowledge for the organization. In the new economy, conversations are the most important form of work.”

—Alan Webber, co‐founder, Fast Company magazine

Imagine last year's record‐breaking sales performance has earned representatives from the different functional areas of your company—marketing, sales, account management, operations, HR, and IT—an awards trip to a tropical island. As the plane descends toward its destination, mechanical troubles require an emergency water landing (yes, you should have been paying attention to the flight attendants when they showed how to inflate the life vest under the seat). All passengers swim safely to different islands around the plane: marketing managers to one island, sales managers to another island, and so on. However, with no operable electronic devices, you are unable to communicate with your colleagues on the other islands. How does this story end?

It doesn't.

While physical islands don't separate managers, conceptual ones certainly do. Research with 880 managers shows that only 35% are aware of other functional groups' strategies within their own company! Why? Less than half of managers set aside time on a regular basis throughout the year to think about and discuss strategy with their colleagues. The result is that many managers reside on “Islands of Insight”—secluded beaches ...