#43: Creating a Learning and Iteration Culture Connecting Lean Strategy and OKRs with Jeff Gothelf
Mar 13, 2024
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Jeff Gothelf discusses the challenges of creating a lean strategy and connecting it to OKRs. Emphasizing the importance of learning and iteration, he advocates for a humble approach to uncertainty. Insights on strategic alignment, embracing uncertainty, and the significance of clear strategy communication are shared.
Agile strategy is crucial for adaptability, incorporating feedback loops ensures course corrections.
Transparency in decision-making, supported by data, facilitates effective communication and alignment with organizational goals.
Deep dives
Importance of Agile Strategy Development
Developing an agile strategy is crucial for businesses to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, as traditional lengthy strategy planning can hinder flexibility. The concept of a strategic hypothesis as a lightweight way to define strategy involves having an opinionated approach to addressing key challenges. This approach helps teams to start with a clear direction, incorporating feedback loops for course corrections, avoiding the pitfalls of rigid long-term strategies.
Customized Strategy Initiatives
Tailoring strategic initiatives based on the team's insights and expertise proves essential for informed decision-making. An opinionated selection of challenges ensures priorities align with organizational goals. Transparency in decision-making, supported by data and compelling narratives, facilitates effective communication of strategic choices.
Effective Outcome-Oriented Roadmaps
Aligning outcomes with strategy through user story mapping guides the sequencing of desired outcomes. Mapping the customer journey and selecting achievable goals enhances progress tracking and decision-making. Utilizing mechanisms like psychological safety encourages honest evaluation and adjustment of roadmaps to navigate uncertainties effectively.
Embracing Strategy Evolution
Facilitating continuous strategy refinement and adaptation encompasses embracing dynamic approaches to outcome achievement. Establishing feedback loops, incentivizing outcome-driven behavior, and fostering a culture of experimentation promote strategic evolution. Encouraging teams to present outcome-focused storylines aids in gauging progress and aligning with organizational strategies.
There are infinite ways to define strategy. Most involve finding a critical challenge and defining the big strokes of how to solve it.
This can be an intimidating task to any leader! Furthermore, if we spend the high effort involved in putting it together, and communicating it as our brilliant strategy for the next 12 months, chances are that the organization will not be super receptive to feedback, learning and iteration on this critical strategic bets.
This is a very complex and nuanced topic, but I had the fortune to speak with Jeff Gothelf, not only an expert in the topic, but someone who can articulate complex problems in simple ways.
We covered how Jeff defines a “lean” strategy, how connecting strategy to OKRs help you learn fast about your hypothesis, and how leaders should take a more humble (and smarter!) approach to explicitly calling out uncertainty and willingness to learn.