Strategic Doing

About the Author

Edward Morrison, the original developer of Strategic Doing, is the founder of the Purdue Agile Strategy Lab. He brings a wealth of experience in strategic collaboration and has been instrumental in developing frameworks for agile leadership. Scott Hutcheson, the Associate Director of the Purdue Agile Strategy Lab, co-authors this work, contributing his extensive knowledge in strategic planning and organizational development. Elizabeth Nilsen, Senior Program Director of the Purdue Agile Strategy Lab, offers her expertise in program management and strategic initiatives. Janyce Fadden, Director of Strategic Engagement for the College of Business at the University of North Alabama, provides insights from her extensive background in strategic engagement and leadership. Nancy Franklin, Principal of Franklin Solutions, rounds out the team with her experience in facilitating strategic initiatives and leadership development.

Main Idea

The central premise of Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership is that the complexity of today's challenges necessitates a new approach to strategic management. Traditional hierarchical models are insufficient for addressing the rapid changes and network-based structures that dominate the modern landscape. Instead, the authors propose a set of ten skills designed to foster effective collaboration and innovation across organizational boundaries. These skills, grounded in research and practical application, aim to transform how leaders and teams navigate and leverage networks to create value and drive change.

Table of Contents

1. Create and Maintain a Safe Space for Deep, Focused Conversation
2. Frame the Conversation with the Right Question
3. Identify Your Assets, Including the Hidden Ones
4. Link and Leverage Assets to Identify New Opportunities
5. Look for the Big Easy
6. Convert Your Ideas to Outcomes with Measurable Characteristics
7. Start Slowly to Go Fast—But Start
8. Draft Short-Term Action Plans That Include Everyone
9. Set 30/30 Meetings to Review, Learn, and Adjust
10. Nudge, Connect, and Promote to Reinforce New Habits

Create and Maintain a Safe Space for Deep, Focused Conversation

The foundation of effective collaboration lies in creating and maintaining a safe space for deep, focused conversation. This concept is crucial because productive dialogue is essential for solving complex problems. According to the authors, the size of the group is a key factor in maintaining such a space. Smaller groups, ideally around seven members, tend to be more effective because each additional member beyond this number reduces the group's effectiveness by 10 percent.

Creating a safe space also involves setting clear rules of behavior that foster trust and mutual respect. A common rule of civility is:

"We will behave in ways that build trust and mutual respect." — Edward Morrison et al.

One practical method to ensure productive conversations is to strive for "equity of voice," where every member talks for about the same amount of time. Simply informing group members of this goal can significantly improve the quality of discussions.