Mintzberg and Waters' strategy model

It is interesting how some strategic management models come and go whilst other ones seem to survive the test of time.  In 1985 Henry Mintzberg (one of the leading strategic management thinkers) and James Waters developed a model to demonstrate how the strategy that is ultimately delivered is made of two parts; deliberate strategy (what the organisation set out to do) and emergent strategy (what happened on the way).

In their original paper the model looks just a little clunky, word processing not as it is today, but very recognisable for all scholars and practitioners.


And although the concept of the model hasn't changed at all, it does look a little funkier with a 'lick of paint'.


The model still communicates with a simplicity that belies the revolutionary nature of what it was at the time.  It looks obvious with hindsight that of course we haven't got a crystal ball and the world changes so where we end up is a combination of where we were headed and what came along on the journey.  

More importantly though and sometimes (I think) not as well recognised in the model is that without the intended strategy we don't have an overall concept of where we are headed.  You have to imagine that along with those emergent arrows going in roughly the same direction there are hundreds of arrows pointing in all manner of other directions.  Without this, it is much harder to judge which opportunities we should take heed of (the arrows going in our direction) and which we should ignore.  

This is the important concept of strategic intent - what is it you actually intend to do.  Without this you end up a little like Alice............



"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you’re sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."


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