Strategic Vision at Apple: Will it change under Tim Cook?

As Steve Jobs' health becomes a greater concern at Apple, attention has been focused on Apple's number two exec, Tim Cook. This transition raises some questions that are interesting strategic planning issues, and will be a fascinating case study in business strategy over the next three or four years.

First, many credit Jobs' vision for the success of Apple. In some ways, this is not far off the mark - Jobs, especially after his return to Apple in 1998, pushed Apple in some weird directions that clearly distinguished the tech company from its competitors. Probably the best part of this strategy was an emphasis on design and a willingness to take a shot at unusual new products before it was clear consumers wanted to buy them.

The first item - emphasis on design - could arguably be Apple's strategic competency. Every successful Apple product has had a design that notably distinguishes it from competitors, and in most cases, the Apple product has re-defined its market.

The second item - a willingness to take risks on new products - lies at the heart of entrepreneurial success in any industry, and is only notable at Apple because size tends to extinguish this vital recklessness. The Fortune 500 is littered with companies that used to have this gambling mentality - but no longer do. Apple still has it, and one could argue this is because of Jobs.

Enter Tim Cook - a perennial number two, according to some, Cook has been seen as an operations guy - and a brilliant one with a keen mind. Operations, unlike design and marketing, does not often reward entrepreneurial recklessness, though - so will Cook bring a vision that can sustain Apple's weird status in the future? On the one hand, people who know Cook say he is a great strategic thinker. On the other hand, operational responsibilities can infect your mind with a gray practicality that deadens the innovative spirit of an organization. It's truly too soon to tell, but don't bet on Apple going dead in the water immediately. Cook knows he has a lot of very keen people around him who have been part of Apple's success over the past ten years - and he is smart enough to know how to work with them. Let's hope he doesn't try to "re-make" Apple in his image just to satisfy his ego - any sign of that would be the kiss of death, as it has been for countless other successful companies in transition.

Help! I can't get my team thinking strategically!

This is a cry for help I get a few times a year. Fortunately, I'm good at fixing this problem. Of course, you are wondering how.
Here are four simple tips for getting a team to think more strategically:

1. Force thinking to the future. The more distant future brings up questions about the survival of the industry, not just your company.

2. Ask why we exist. Not how are we going to exist, but why.

3. Use strategic imagery. Don't talk about swimming faster - talk about swimming in the right direction.

4. Challenge the team to make their own luck. Get them thinking about how to get your company doing the right thing, in the right place, at the right time.

5. Every time someone suggests a tactical solution, respond negatively: "That's only going to make us a little more successful next year. I want something bigger".

If these don't work - or if they do, for that matter - you should seriously consider bringing in a professional who focuses on challenging teams to think more strategically. Drop me a line and I'll tell you how to get me to come do it in person.

Strategic Planning and strategic thinking - what should employees know?

What are the most important things for employees to know to think more strategically? A quick survey of recent attendees at our strategic planning seminar yielded these areas for improvement:

1. Thinking about our business from the customer's perspective
2. Understanding the economics of our industry
3. Knowing the competition and their strong and weak points
4. Understanding our strategy and the reasons for it

Beyond this, I would contend that employees do need to understand some of the fundamentals of strategy - the concepts of strategic capability, focus, specialty and commodity strategies, and market share are all very useful in many jobs, not just executive ones.

Do your employees know these things? If they did, how would it help your company?

Strategic Planning - Great Strategic Thinking

One of the secrets of the greatest companies is their ability to communicate the essence of their strategy to every level of the organization. Not only does this result in better co-ordination and input from every employee, but it yields behaviors at the front line of the organization that reinforce the core strategy.

Obviously, a good strategic plan that is well-communicated will go a long way to making this a reality. But there is also an element of strategic thinking that exists at the top of most organizations - and is often missing at other levels.

I'm curious...does your company communicate the strategic plan to its employees? What does your company do to instill strategic thinking below the top management level? What do you think could be done to improve this at your company?