Strategy needs data: Market intelligence + Competitor moves + Customer trends + Technology shifts + ... Yes definitely!
But here is the trap. If you are not careful, strategic thinking becomes an endless research project. You analyse more. Then a bit more. Then one more report. Then one more scenario. There is always another trend to unpack. Another disruption to study. Another competitor move to dissect.
You can spend weeks, months, years collecting intelligence. And still feel unready to decide. That is boiling the ocean! Beyond a certain point, more data does not improve the decision. It DELAYS it.
Use an Issues-Based Approach
The antidote is sometime simple. Do not analyse EVERYTHING. Focus on what truly matters. Identify a handful of critical issues:
• One or two major opportunities
• One or two serious threats
• One or two core assumptions that could break the model
Then dedicate 80 percent of your analytical effort to those. Not 20 topics. Not 50 variables. A handful. This forces focus. It accelerates clarity. It keeps the strategy process moving.
Clarity Over Exhaustion
Strategic thinking should inform decisions. Not postpone them. Yes, you need intelligence. But you do not need to understand the entire universe to move forward. If your strategy process feels heavy, slow, and endless, chances are you are boiling the ocean.
So narrow the field. Concentrate your effort. Make the call.
Strategy is not about knowing everything. It is about knowing enough to decide.
Author: Anael Granoux | Strategy Advisor, Lecturer, Speaker