Writing a Strategy

Earlier this year to create a strategy for the team of Data Engineers that I led. It was a daunting ask. Especially after taking CliftonStrengths and not one of my top 5 themes was in the strategy domain (three were executing and 2 were relationship building). So I set out to find the information I needed to write a strategy. I ended up reading Richard Rumelt's Good Strategy, Bad Strategy. I was hooked early on and felt it was exactly the answer I had been looking for.

It was, and it wasn't at the same time. Good Strategy, Bad Strategy helped explain the parts of a strategy and the traps that led to bad strategies. A part of me had hoped it was like a recipe book. That I could get through the technique and be handed an answer I could tweak. It did not work that way, and it should not have. I gained significantly more value going through the exercise; finding the diagnosis, coming up with the guiding policies, and deciding on coherent actions. I was fortunate to have a good team of engineering leaders that I could do this with, and I believe we produced something of real value.

As I just finished the chapter in Will Larson's The Engineering Executive Primer on writing engineering strategy, I realized the strategy really needs to be tangible and that is often the hardest part. The guiding policies and coherent actions are designed specifically to make strategy tangible and felt by the organization.

If it sounds daunting to you, just as it did to me, then try first writing some strategy for yourself. And take time regularly to evaluate and update your strategy. I am committing to this practice for myself, because it is just that. A practice that will make it more automatic in time. I am not convinced it will ever be easy. I am convinced it will always be worth the time invested.