Non-Linear Strategies Are Like Improvised Theatre

Strategising has adapted to the changes in technology and connectivity. As the world has become increasingly agile, tensions have emerged between the traditional approach to strategy and the new implementation technique.

What’s more, successful companies today pursue several goals simultaneously to learn from products and services in real-time. This is radically different from the traditional strategy, which focussed on one type of solution and worked towards completing that vision over time.

Consider the world of acting. Dramatic actors follow a set script and perform it in front of a live audience.

Although performances can be tweaked according to the energy in the room, the play largely remains the same.

But in improvised theatre, actors use loose scripts that provide direction yet contain theatrical constraints, so the performance mostly depends on that particular moment. In improv theatre, where actors react to one another, the storyline is organic and collaborative.

In strategy, this can be similarly achieved by designing systems for businesses to co-create value with their customers and employees, for example by getting them to constantly interact with their surroundings. This is done by using a non-linear strategy.

In the brave new world of digital connectivity, strategists need enough focus to move in the right direction but also enough autonomy to respond to the industry.

This approach will garner improvisation and experimentation by forcing them to push their boundaries further. Today, companies need to work towards a broadly defined purpose that will guide strategists in their actions, but encourage exploration.

Nike is a great example of improv strategy. The brand’s success relies on its ability to stay true to its mission.

Nike has brought inspiration and innovation to every athlete, which is why the brand has matured from selling trainers out of a Plymouth Valiant (below) into the world’s leading athletic sportswear supplier.

By continuously looking for new ways to unlock its potential, Nike relentlessly focussed on striving toward its full potential, just like the athletes it appeals to. By delivering innovative products and providing high quality services that constantly redefine customer expectations and needs, the brand has proved its worth.

People’s lives are inherently dynamic and constantly change. To be successful and retain value, organisations must respond to their consumers’ requirements.

Adaptability is key but the rate of reaction is equally as important and can be the difference between success and failure – separating the leaders from the followers.

Nike’s dedicated digital sports division, set up to create digital product services, contributed to the brand’s growth because the team was able to spot emergent behaviours and scout opportunities. Made up of cross-functional teams, progressive design-driven techniques and an experimental approach, Nike’s adopted non-linear strategy has been a great success.

Strategy can no longer be seen as traditionally linear. Instead, digital connectivity has ushered in an age of non-linear strategies, where change and collaboration are vital to the business and also the stakeholders.

In today’s world, success depends on a creative team that is free to sense and respond to the surrounding environment. The new era of strategic improvisation has led strategists to pursue a less-structured route and encouraged greater freedom to search for revolutionary ways to build value for clients.