Emergent Strategy, Systems Thinking

In my previous entry I noted how an appreciative inquiry approach allowed one to benefit from complex systems without necessarily understanding how they worked. Emergent strategy is similar. (If you are interested in strategy in all its forms see Strategy Safari by Henry Mintzberg.)

Most approaches to strategy presume one can figure out what is going on in the complex system of your organization and the marketplace and then plan accordingly. Emergent strategy is more a matter of learning by doing and seeing what works. You may not understand the complex system enough to know why an emergent strategy is working, but that may not matter so much since you do know that it is working.


David
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