We at Engine90 are all about speed and efficiency of impact. And we’re fond of saying that when you’re navigating on the frontlines of business, successful strategy and operational alignment requires a constant infusion of information, insight and action. However, all too often, by the time management teams collectively sense an opportunity, there’s rarely enough time left to pull the organizational levers required to capitalize on it.

Strategy is a nom du jour being applied to most every action (or inaction) within an organization. From strategic human resources and strategic marketing, to strategy execution and strategy alignment, one cannot escape the ‘strategic’ implications of even going to lunch. Every department thinks of itself as a driver of the corporate strategy, yet like disruptive innovation a decade earlier, strategy is a diluted metaphor rather than deeply understood as a core concept.