I wrote about the simplicity and beauty of strategy of a company and of an individual yesterday. As to how the simple and beautiful srategy is developed, I find that most companies do not necessarily start with the simple strategy. Usually, the simple and elegant strategy is the result (or rather work-in-process as it is still evolving) of series of decisions made at different points in time. When I asked top management whether they had their successful (and simple) strategy right from the beginning, they usualy say that they had rough idea, but have tried hard to make the best decisions at a time when the tough decision is called for. It is what is called “emergent strategy”.
The same seems to be true with the career/lifestyle strategy of an individual. It seems that most of us have “general” idea of what we want to do, but they change after we actually try them. We often come to realize that we like things we never thought about. I had some idea of what I wanted to do, but not specific enough. When I look back what I have done, I am certain that I made the best decision I could at different points of time, and I do not regret any of it. And yet, I keep finding out what I like and what I do not like even today. (In fact, I feel more certain of what I really want to do now! ) I am even more convinced that it is never too late to start something.
I suppose that strategy is not something that is always developed logically as in the textbook, but does emerge as many experiments are made. It is a journey which we pursue with many trial and error. Often the journey takes us to places we never dream of.
Yoko Ishikura is a Professor at Hitotsubashi University ICS in the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy in Japan. She has held positions as a professor at the School of International Politics, Economics and Business of Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, as a consultant at McKinsey and Company Inc. Japan and a visiting professor at Darden School.
Professor Ishikura is a consultant to a number of multinational companies and has been a frequent speaker at management conferences, seminars, and workshops throughout the world. She was a member of the Regulatory Reform Committee for the Japanese government and the International Competitiveness Commission for METI. She is currently a Forum Fellow of the World Economic Forum.
She is the author of Strategic Shift from OR choices to AND paradigm, Building Core Skills of Organization , and the co-author of the following publications: Managing Diversity in the 21st Century, Strategy for Cluster Initiatives in Japan , and Building a Career to the World Class Professionals – all in Japanese. Her books in English include: Asian Advantage, Hitotsubashi on Knowledge Management and Trust and Antitrust in Asian Business Alliances.
Professor Ishikura’s current research interests are focused on global competition, innovation, and knowledge management. She received her BA from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan; MBA from Darden School, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; and DBA from Harvard Business School.
