Loud Thinking May 12, 2014 at 01:34PM
Include Skeptics in Your Strategy Making
Skeptics can derail even the best strategies. Those who strongly believe that a strategy is wrong can work against it or fail to advance it – but this is why it’s critical to involve skeptics in the early stages of the strategy-making process. This is when criticism can be put to the best use. Strongly encourage any doubters to speak up so that people can see what might be wrong with the potential strategy. These questions will trigger thoughtful evaluation and push you to make the best strategic choice. If skeptics have a voice in the process – and if you listen to their feedback – they are far more likely to help conceive of and support a new strategy and assist in moving it forward. If no one is speaking up about the potential risks of a new strategy, ask your team members to take up the role: “What would a skeptic worry about here?”
Adapted by HBR from the Playing to Win Strategy Toolkit.
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